Second chance in Tallahassee
by Lorelei Candice Black
Summary: When August asks Neal to walk away from Emma and let her take the fall, he refuses and they find another solution. They start over in Tallahassee. August joins them. Curse will be broken, but people will get hurt. Someone dies in the end. Sequel coming later.
1. Chapter 1

**_Second chance in Tallahassee_**

_After August told him about Emma's real identity, Neal decided on another course of action and forced August to agree to it._

* * *

Neal had been staring at the piece of paper with his real name on it for a few seconds when the man who introduced himself as August told him his plan. He wanted Emma to get a do-over, to go in jail for stealing the watches and to get out a new woman, ready to face her destiny and to break the curse.

Baelfire.

he had stopped being this boy a long time ago, giving up the name when he came back from Neverland to discover that he was alone. that he had been gone from this world for over 200 years and that he Darlings were now all gone, that he had no more friend or family to count on. He had stopped being Baelfire when he decided to do what he needed to survive in this strange world, when he had decided to try and stop thinking about his father, to stop missing him and to stop regretting his decision to leave him.

Now this man, Pinocchio, came and wanted him to give up the only good thing in his life just so he could feel better about his mistakes? Could he really do this? Let Emma go to jail for him? He loved her, that was for sure. he loved her more than he had ever loved anyone and now that man wanted him to leave her, to break her heart? Was it selfish of him to want to stay with Emma?

"What about us? I'm just supposed to leave her? Forget that I love her? Forget our plans for the future?" Neal asked Pinocchio.

"It's the only solution to get her back on the right track." August nodded.

"No, it's not. There has to be another solution, another way... If I leave her now and wait until she broke the curse to get her back, meaning in about 10 years according to what my father predicted and he's never wrong with these kind of things, she'll never forgive me and I'll never get her back. I can't have that. I can't lose her too." Neal shook his head.

"You made it clear that you didn't want to go to Storybrook and face your father. What else is there? She needs to get on the right track, to become the savior she was always supposed to be." August insisted.

"I can't be without her for over 10 years." Neal protested weakly before he sighted and added "She doesn't even believe in fairy tales and happy endings. How are you going to make her believe after going to jail for who knows how long because of something she didn't do? How are you going to make her believe in happy ending when you take away the only good thing she's had in her life so far?"

"I'll figure it out." August replied confidently.

"Like you took care of her until now? Be serious. You admitted yourself that you're not good at resisting temptations. What makes you think that you won't fail her again? How can I trust you to know that you'll do what's best for her?" Neal asked him, feeling like he had found an argument to win.

"What other option is there than to try it my way?"

"Let us go with our plan. We'll start our lives over in Tallahassee with the money I got for the watches like we planed and we'll settle down. I'll slowly try to get her to believe, I'll tell her my story, you can even stay in touch, find us once we're settled down and introduce yourself to her... You obviously have issues to work on as well... Just... please, I can't lose her." Neal argued.

"You want to start over in Tallahassee? You think you can get her to believe?" August asked him and Neal could see that he was slowly convincing him.

"Yes, I do. Given time I can. I'll manage to get her to believe before it's time for her to break the curse." Neal nodded.

"And I'm just supposed to leave?" August asked him.

"No. If you're really Pinocchio, the fact that you left Emma when you were supposed to guide her isn't going to be good for you. I'm guessing that the only reason you're still of flesh is because of the curse... Once Emma breaks it, you'll go back to being wooden. You could come with us, or join us once we're settled. Make up for your failure in her past and watch after her in the future." Neal suggested.

"You're wiser than I thought." August nodded.

"Well, I'm over 200 years old really so I guess I should be. I've grown up a lot while I was trapped in Neverland." Neal smiled.

"Fine. Here is my cell phone number. Call me once you've settled down. Just know that if I find out that you've lied to me and that you're stealing with her again, I'll find you and I'll make you pay, no matter who your father is." August said as he handed a piece of paper to Bealfire before he went back on his motorcycle and drove away, hoping that trusting the Dark One's son was the right move.

.

Once August left, Neal went to find Emma like he was supposed to.

Of course he was late and she wasn't very happy about it, she had been worried, scared that he'd left her for good but he reassured her, saying he got delayed because he met an old friend and that he would tell her all about it later. Using her gift, she knew that he was telling the truth about telling her everything later so she let go the fact that he had lied about the old friend part and waited until later to hear what he had to tell her. She trusted him to have a good reason to wait.

After that, Neal and Emma got what they needed to put their plan into action and drove to Tallahassee in the little yellow bug that now had a legal licence plate on it. It was a long road trip but they made it fun, used the time to bond and make more plans and they eventually made it.

.

A couple of weeks after arriving in town, they had a place to stay and Neal had found a job. Things were starting to look up and they had really been lucky ever since their arrival in this new town.

"You have to go to a doctor Emma, the way you've been sick for the past few days isn't normal." Neal told her as she washed her teeth after throwing up in the toilets of their newly rented apartment.

"It's probably just something I ate, I'll be fine. Plus, you have to get to work." She waved it off.

She didn't have time to get sick, she wanted to find a job so that Neal wasn't the only one supporting them.

"We ate the same thing and you've been sick for over a week Emma. Please just... let's go to a doctor." Neal argued and with a sight, she nodded.

"Fine, I'll go while you're at work. Mister Turner was nice enough to trust you with this job, we can't let him down." She insisted.

When they had arrived in Tallahassee, they had been drawn to this ordinary building and had met an old man named Henry Turner. If at first he looked like a big angry wild bear, the old man turned out to be very nice and trusted them. He agreed to rent a 2 bedrooms apartment to them and even offered them a job. Since he was so old, he couldn't do all the repairs that needed to be done in his buildings anymore so he hired Neal to do it. It paid enough to get the two of them to live like normal people so he took the job, accepting to work emergency repairs during the night or the week-ends. This way, Emma would be free to find a job that called to her, that she loved.

"Fine, I'll go to work but you go to a doctor. When I come back I want to know what's wrong with you alright? I worry." He told her and she nodded.

Then Neal kissed her softly on the lips and went to work.

Like she had promised him, Emma went to the doctor in the beginning of the afternoon and waited patiently for her turn, trying to ignore the fact that the unwashed man that was sitting next to her was smelling so bad that she felt like running to the bathroom all over again. Pressing a scented tissue under her nose, she took a big breath and prayed that her turn came quickly. She hated free clinics but she didn't really have the money to go anywhere else right now.

.

"So, what did the doctor say?" Neal asked her when he came home that evening and saw her laying down on their new couch.

"Come, sit down." She asked as she sat up, patting the spot next to him.

"What is it Emma, you're scaring me." He asked her, worriedly as he sat by her side.

"I... It's nothing bad... I know it's soon and that we're both pretty young but... I'm... I'm pregnant." She managed to tell him, fighting her nerves as she spoke.

"I... Are you sure?" he asked her and she nodded, handing him a piece of paper as she did.

Looking at it, Neal saw that it was a sonogram. Their child's first picture.

Well, to him, it looked more like a bean and the picture reminded him of the magic bean he had used to travel to this land but if she said it was their child, then he had to believe her.

"Say something..." She pleaded after a few minutes of him starring at their unborn child.

"I... You're right, it's a bit soon but we'll make it Emma. I love you, you know that and we'll be fine. We'll be happy, the three of us will be happy I promise you." He told her, making her cry in happiness as she jumped in his arms and hugged him hard.

.

"Emma, there's something I need to tell you." Neal started a few days later as they both walked on the beach, planning on having dinner watching the sun set.

"What is it, you look so serious..." She asked.

"It's about my past. You might not want to believe me but I swear, if you use your gift, you'll see that I'm telling the truth." He pleaded with her and once she nodded, letting him know silently that she was listening, he started telling her the story of his life, back when he was Baelfire up to his meeting with August, aka Pinocchio, without forgetting his stay in Neverland and who she really was.

"Neal... It's a nice story, I don't mind you telling it to our kid once its born but I'm too old to believe in fairy tales. This isn't funny." Emma scolded him.

"You're not ready to believe me and it's fine Emma but I promise you that before our kid turns 10, you'll believe me and we'll have you reunited with your parents." He replied, kissing her hair and hugging her to his side.

"Right, because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming... Whatever you say. Wait, this August was the one who found me by the side of the road?" She asked.

"Yes, except you arrived in the woods, through a magical portal in a tree. His real name is Pinocchio and he was supposed to guide you and make sure you believed but he failed you, he let himself get tempted by this world's wonders. Now he wants to make it up to you. He'll come and pay us a visit soon." Neal replied.

"You know I don't believe you one bit about the magic world thing right?" The 18 years old pregnant blond by his side asked him.

"I know, but I also know that you didn't detect a lie and that you'll eventually believe me. As long as you don't send me to the crazy house I'm fine." he chuckled.

It had taken him a long time to tell her everything and the sun was starting to set. They sat down on the sand and Neal opened the basket he was carrying, setting the dinner Emma had prepared in front of them.

He knew that getting Emma to believe wouldn't be easy but he would do it, with time, love, patience and probably the help of their child, he would get her to believe in just how extraordinary and amazing she was.

.

August had been tempted to go off to Thailand and have some fun but he reminded himself that he needed to be there for Emma so when Neal called to inform him that they had settled down in a nice apartment and that he had found a job, he decided to pay them a visit.

When he arrived, he learned that Emma was pregnant and that Neal had told her everything. If she didn't believe it, she wasn't calling them crazy either so it wasn't so bad. He stayed with them for a couple of weeks before going to New York for a job, promising to come back often. Neal had been right, they were on the right track and there was more chances of Emma believing in magic now that she was happy than if she had been forced to go to jail.

.

Time passed.

Emma was following classes to become a bails-bond person all the while taking care of her health during her pregnancy.

Henry Turner, the man who had given them a chance came to see them often. He didn't have a family and had grown to care for the couple and helped them as much as he could.

"Are you sure you're alright Henry? You've been unusually pale for the last couple of days... Maybe you should rest some more." Emma asked the man as she served him some hot chocolate until Neal came home.

"This is the reason I wanted to speak with you and Neal. I'd rather wait until he comes home, it'll be easier then." Henry replied.

"He shouldn't be too long now. He was supposed to be home half an hour ago but Misses Donning called. She said that there was something wrong with her pipes." Emma informed him.

"Again? Isn't it the third time this month?" Henry wondered.

"Actually, the first time it was the window, the time after that it was the sink... I think she's just lonely." Emma told him.

"Yeah, I think I heard that her children were trying to get her to move closer to them." Henry nodded.

Just then, Neal entered the apartment and joined them after a short trip in the bathroom to clean up a bit.

"Now that you're both here, I have something to tell you. The reason I'm so pale and tired lately is because I'm sick. I won't go into details but I have no more than a few months left. Now, I'm not telling you this so you make these sad faces. Emma, Neal, you two know how much I love you and you know that I don't have much family left... My brother in Seattle will inherit most of my belongings but I wanted to warn you... I've changed my will... I'm leaving this building to the two of you." He told them, trying to ignore their sad looks.

"You don't have to..." Neal started to protest but Henry rose his hand and asked him to stop talking.

"I want to. I always promised myself that I wouldn't leave this world without doing some good for someone in need first and this is what I'm doing now. The two of you deserve to be happy and this is what I'm giving you now. With the money from the rent, you won't have to worry, you'll be able to raise your boy the way you want, without him to want for anything. Please, let me do this for you." The old Henry asked and the couple nodded, unable to resist the last wish of a dying old man who had done so much for them and had grown to become a member of their family.

.

Emma gave birth to her son 3 days after term and the old Henry was still alive but on his death bed. Emma and Neal decided to name their son after the man who have given everything to them.

Before he died, they let Old Henry hold their son and watched sadly as the man who had helped them so much died with a happy, satisfied smile on his face that reflected well on the fact that he had been satisfied with the way his life had gone.

At Neal's demand, August was named Baby Henry's godfather and he moved closer to them so he could be there for them whenever they needed him and try to redeem himself for leaving Emma all those years ago. He wouldn't fail Henry like he had failed Emma. He couldn't.

Emma still didn't believe anything of what August and Neal had told her about their past and who they truly were but she heard the story everyday as Neal told it to their son, who grew up as what could be called a strong believer.

The years passed and the family was relatively happy. Emma still didn't believe but she had grown so accustomed to hearing the fairy tale stories that she wouldn't really had been surprised if a fairy ended up coming for a visit one day.

Neal and her had discussed having more children but they decided to wait until Henry was 10, until they were both older. Neal wanted to wait until the curse broke and if Emma didn't believe the curse story, she trusted that he had good reasons for wanting to wait. Their lives were in a good place right now anyway, she didn't see a reason to change anything.

When Henry turned 2, Neal proposed to Emma and she accepted. They got married 6 months later and became the Swan - Cassidy family.

It was, to Emma, a happy ending to her difficult and sad childhood but she had no idea that if it was a happy moment, it was far from being an ending. She would have more happy moments, but she'd also have to face more difficulties. She'd have to face sad moments and she'd have though choices to make but right now, she was married to a man she loved, she had her son by her side and a friend/big brother she could count on.

She didn't care about Neal and August's curse stories.

This was her happy ending.

* * *

**This is only the first part. It'll be longer. I'm not sure where I'm going but it will definitely be longer.**

**Also the pairing might not be final, because I don't like Emma and Neal together that much... and because I have ideas... I guess we'll see where I take things.**

**It will be at least as long as it takes Emma to break the curse, because I have it all figured out up to that point. After that, I guess it depends. I can warn you that people will die though. Good people. People you like... but not Emma. Nor Henry.**

**review please?**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Second chance in Tallahassee_**

**_2_**

* * *

More years passed and Henry was about to turn 10.

After taking some time to think it over, Neal and Emma sold their building in Tallahassee and decided to move to Boston to start over.

Of course, Neal had other things in mind and had been the one to initiate the move. He was planning on finding an excuse to take Emma to Storybrook as soon as possible, maybe even on the way to Boston if he could find it.

August, who had become a solid part of their family decided that he would join them a little later, once they were settled in Storybrook. he would stay close to them though, just in case something got wrong and he was needed. he wouldn't abandon them, not now that he was so close to seeing his father again.

They left a couple of days before their boxes and Neal chose the road well so that they had to drive through Storybrook, according to the indications August had given him that was because the town wasn't on any maps.

He knew that it meant he would have to face his father but if he was honest with himself, he missed his papa and he wanted to give him a second chance. Everyone deserved a second chance, so why not his father? After all, his father had created a curse and done so many things that seemed impossible just to find him, he deserved at least a chance to be heard, a chance to know he had a grandson.

"I was found not too far from here." Emma realised as she looked outside the car window.

"We're almost in Storybrook so it makes sense." Neal replied.

"There's nothing on the map Neal. This town doesn't exist." Emma told him.

She had checked it over on several maps and the town Neal and August claimed were her home showed up nowhere. Driving through the actual town at this point would definitely make her believe a little more in the curse.

"We're stopping so we can break the curse, right?" Henry asked his parents.

"Well, we're at least stopping for some food, your mother at least agreed to that." Neal nodded.

"I said that IF we drove through a cursed town called Storybrook, that isn't anywhere on the map by the way, then we could stop to eat and take a quick look." Emma corrected.

"But you believe now mom, right?" Henry asked his mother.

"Henry... I..." Emma was looking for the right words to say and couldn't find them.

"It's okay, you'll believe once we locate your parents." Henry nodded confidently.

"Such a strong little believer." Neal chuckled before the word believer rang an alarm in his head.

Henry was the first born of the savior. The grandson of the Dark One.

Was it possible that he was also the Truest Believer, the one Peter Pan was looking for? He had never seen the drawing of the kid on the scroll that Pan and Felix had but he had heard of him. That was another reason for him to make peace with his father. They would definitely need his protection and his powers to keep Henry safe from Peter Pan.

Neal had a bad feeling about this and deep down, he knew that his son was the one Pan needed to kill in order to survive. His son was in danger and needed to be protected.

.

Emma had been so sure that there was nothing on the map that when they crossed the sign saying "_Welcome to Storybrook_", she gasped.

"How... According to the map, this entire area is just woods..." She whispered.

"Told you." Neal smiled.

"I can't wait to meet my grandparents." Henry exclaimed as Emma looked confused.

"It can't be possible Neal... magic doesn't exist." Emma pleaded with him.

"Not in this world it doesn't. But I assure you that everything else is real. At least be open about it, please?" he asked her and she nodded with a sight.

Neal parked his little yellow bug in front of the dinner called Granny's and they all looked around the nearly empty street.

"It looks... sad..." Emma noticed.

"Or cursed." Neal added in a whisper.

"Look, the clock on the town is stuck at 8:15. It's probably because time stopped here, like August told us. I bet it's the time the curse took place." Henry exclaimed.

"Be more discreet Henry, please. We don't want the Evil Queen to notice us here before your mother breaks the curse. Who knows what she'd do to us. You heard what August said, she's dangerous." Neal pleaded and his son nodded.

"Alright, let's eat. We'll discuss what to do when our stomachs are full." Emma decided.

They entered the dinner and there wasn't many people around.

"Are you new in town?" a young woman with long dark hair with red strips in them and dressed in red and white asked them.

"We were passing through... Thinking of maybe staying a couple of days before we have to go back home." Neal replied politely with a half lie.

"Well, we're renting rooms of you're interested." She smiled eagerly.

"Thank you, we'll probably take you up on your offer but we need to look for someone first. My father lives in this town and we might just end up staying with him." Neal replied.

"Oh, maybe I can help you. Who is it?" She asked him.

"That's complicated. I haven't seen him in a very long time. I was just a boy when we were separated and I don't remember his name." Neal told her the story he had prepared ahead.

"Well, in any case, I'm Ruby and if you guys need anything, I'm right here." She offered.

"Thanks. I'm Neal, this is my wife Emma and our son Henry." He smiled and the waitress took their orders before going back to the counter to retell the story she had heard.

"She has a point, how are you going to look for your father if you don't know the name he's using here?" Emma asked him.

"Well, after lunch we're all going to take a walk around town, take a small tour and if by the end of the afternoon we still haven't found him, we'll take a couple of rooms at the Bed and Breakfast. I'll recognize him if I see him and I know him enough to be able to guess where he could be." Neal assured her.

"Do you think he's cursed too or will he remember you?" Henry asked his father.

"I'm pretty sure he'll have made sure to protect himself from the fake memories." Neal assured them.

"How long are we going to be staying here?" Emma asked him as Ruby placed their drinks in front of them.

"At least give us a week Emma. Please?" Neal asked her and with a sight, Emma nodded.

She could never resist when both Neal and Henry asked her something at the same time and she had to admit that being in this town felt rather good, almost like home. Maybe they weren't wrong. Maybe her parents were here. She was willing to give them a chance to convince her.

.

Once the little family was done eating their lunch, they paid and went on a walk around the town. They hadn't been out of the little dinner for more than 10 minutes when a well dressed woman with dark hair approached them confidently.

"Ah, you must be the new comers I've heard about. I've heard that we had visitors. My name is Regina Mills, I'm the mayor of this town." She introduced herself.

"Well it is true what they say, word does travel fast in little towns." Neal smiled.

"It's nice to meet you Madame Mayor. I'm Emma Swan - Cassidy, this is my husband Neal and our son Henry." Emma introduced politely, trying to erase the uneasy feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach as soon as the woman had started talking.

"Henry... What a nice name. My late father's name was Henry." Regina smiled in an even creepier way and Henry, who was always so brave, snuggled closer to his mother, as if trying to hide behind her.

"I'm sorry." Emma replied, knowing it was what was expected when someone spoke of a person they had loved and lost.

"If you want, you can come over to my place later, I have a great apple tree. They're the sweetest apples around, I'm sure you'll love them."Regina told Henry as she bent down to reach his height.

"I don't like apples." Henry replied, trying to be as polite as possible as he kept on trying to disappear behind his parents.

"How long are you planing on staying with us?" Regina asked the parents when she realised that she wouldn't be winning this kid over any time soon.

"No more than a few days. We have to get to Boston but we've been on the road for a while and the last few weeks have been very tiring for us all so we decided to take a small break here." Emma lied easily, not liking the woman one bit, especially if she was scaring her son.

"Well, it's nice to hear. If there's anything I can do to make your stay here more enjoyable, please let me know." Regina told them before she turned around and went back to the city hall.

"She's the Evil Queen." Henry informed his parents.

"Well, I'm willing to believe that." Emma chuckled.

"Come on, let's try this street." Neal motioned to the left and they all walked there.

The little family walked happily for a while longer, enjoying the views and the shops of a town that appeared to have been truly stopped in time. The few people they crossed were polite and seemed curious to see them. They were stopped a few times to talk with nice people and the sheriff even came to introduce himself to them.

Neal didn't like Sheriff Graham much, probably because of the way the man looked at Emma. Like a thirsty man seeing water for the first time after a long walk in the desert. Henry, for his part, was convinced that the sheriff was a nice man who was being control against his will by the Evil Queen. Emma simply thought he was nice and that Neal was being silly and jealous for no reasons.

After a while, Neal stopped in front of the window of the Pawnbroker's shop. There was a couple of wooden dolls in the window, along with several other objects, all seemed to have been taken straight out of the Enchanted Forest. There was something familiar to Neal about everything he was seeing there.

"What is it dad?" Henry asked.

"Gold. The owner's name is Mister Gold. My father would definitely be one of the wealthiest man in this town and he was a bit of a collector. It's the kind of place where he could be. And the name... He used to spin straw into Gold and his skin turned golden after he became the Dark one..." Neal explained to his son and his wife.

He could definitely picture his father owning a place like this one.

"Great, let's go inside then." Henry exclaimed as he opened the front door and entered the shop, not waiting to see if his parents were following him or not.

The little bell above their head rang and warned the owner of their presence.

"Henry wait, we don't even know if it's really him or if he's cursed or not." Neal protested in a half whisper but his son wasn't listening and was already inside the shop, waiting at the counter for his potential grandfather to show his face.

"As stubborn as his mother." Neal chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not the only stubborn one here." Emma replied in mock offence, making him laugh.

Emma and Neal arrived behind their son just as a man with a can entered from the back room, having been warned that he had customers by the warning bell above the front door.

* * *

**What did you think?**

**Don't forget to be honest in a review!**

**Feel free to check over my other stories!**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Second Chance in Tallahassee_**

**_3_**

* * *

"Hello, you must be our visitors. How may I help you?" The man asked politely as he entered the front room, his eyes mainly on Emma and Henry since Neal was hidden from his view by a shelf.

"Papa?" Neal asked in a voice barely above a whisper as he stepped out of his hiding place after having recognized his father.

"Is this him, dad?" Henry asked his father.

"Bae? Is that you?" Gold asked and it was enough for Neal to know that the curse hadn't affected his father's memories.

"I'm taking this as a yes." Emma sighted, knowing now that if the man had called Neal _Bae_, then it was yet another proof that the curse she refused to believe in was real.

"It's Neal now. Neal Cassidy."

"I... I didn't expect you to come to me... I was going to look for you after the curse was broken... I'm so sorry Bae... I..." The poor man seemed to be searching for the right words to use.

"This is Emma, my wife... and our son Henry." Neal made the introductions to change the subject and ease his father's discomfort.

"Your son? With the savior?" Gold asked, surprised.

"You know who mom is?" Henry asked.

"Of course I do. I'm the one who told her parents that she was going to be the savior so they got her to safety." he smiled uneasily.

"How come you're not cursed then, grandpa?" Henry asked his grandfather, welcoming the man in his life with the use of one word, making his father and grandfather smile in fondness.

"Mainly because I created the curse. I made sure it would protect me, that I'd have my memories so I'd be able to look for my son as soon as time started again and so I'd be able to help the savior break the curse when she came... I definitely didn't see that happening this way though. Why don't you all come with me back home? I'll close the shop early and we'll be able to talk." He explained, liking that the boy was already calling him _grandpa_.

"Maybe we should go and reserve a couple of rooms at Granny's first... We don't know what time they close up..." Emma suggested.

"None sense. I have a big house here. You're more than welcome to stay with me until you find a place of your own. If that's what you want, I mean..." Gold offered and they all nodded.

Gold went to lock his shop, knowing that nobody would come by this late anyway and led them all out of his shop. Then he showed them the way to his house, which was big and luxurious.

"The room I had ready for you will be better fitted for Henry now, given his age. I have plenty of other rooms for you and Emma to choose from." He nervously explained as he showed them around.

"Does the house have an alarm?" Henry asked surprising them all with this odd question.

"Yes, of course. I'm well protected. Why are you asking?" He asked his grandson.

"I don't want Regina to come here. She scares me." Henry confessed.

"You met her already?" Gold asked.

"She came to greet us and played nice Mayor right after we left Granny's. I've got to say, even I found her a bit creepy." Neal explained to his father.

"Well, she's the evil queen. As soon as you break the curse, we'll lock her up and she won't be a problem. Until then, I can promise you that she won't come and hurt any of you while you're here." Gold promised.

"How can mom break the curse then?" Henry asked his grandfather.

"Well, the first step is to believe in magic and in the curse, then you'll need to give someone True Love's kiss." He explained, looking at Emma directly.

"Well, that's going to take some time. I'm open to believing but come on... This is pretty big." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry grandpa, she'll believe soon." Henry assured his grandfather who smiled and nodded before he went in the kitchen to make them something to drink and some snacks.

Talking was always easier around food and with drinks to sooth everything.

Henry stood up and started to look around the room until he fell face to face with a chipped teacup.

"Is this the chipped tea cup from Beauty and the Beast?" Henry asked in awe.

"Yes it is. You're a smart kid. It belonged to Belle." Gold replied in a sad voice that made his son look up.

"You loved her, didn't you?" Emma asked him, recognizing the pain in his voice when he had replied to Henry.

Gold nodded.

"You're the beast from the tale? Someone changed you back into a man?" Neal asked his father.

"She tried and almost succeeded but I didn't want to believe that she could truly love me when my own father hadn't... I was sure that Regina had put her up to this... Which is what Regina wanted me to believe, she had arranged everything so I'd think she was behind it all when she wasn't... I told Belle to leave, afraid that she was lying, that she didn't truly love me and she died before I could make up for it..." He explained.

"I'm sorry." Emma said sincerely.

After that, they all sat down and Neal told his father his story, what happened to him after he fell through the portal. Emma and Henry had heard the story before but they stayed quiet, knowing that father and son needed this moment to reunite and truly give each other a second chance.

When Neal started to speak of his arrival in Neverland to protect the Darlings, Rumpelstiltskin tensed and before his son could say anything else, he confessed that Peter Pan was his father and he told them how he had been abandoned by him when he was a little boy. He didn't want his son to think he was destined to be as bad a father as Pan had been to his son and Neal reassured his father. They were nothing alike. At least the Dark One tried to find his son, at least he came back for him, even if it took him a while.

It was very tensed but since they were being honest, the Dark One told his son of the prophecy the seer had told him, the one who started him on the path that made him the Dark One and that predicted that the boy who'd reunite him with his son would be his undoing.

"But if I'm the boy who reunited you with dad, it means I'm going to have to kill you? I don't want that! I can't kill my grandfather, that's evil!" Henry asked his grandfather, afraid.

"Of course not!" Emma exclaimed as she hugged her son to her side like only a mother could do.

"It was my first thought too Henry but since that day I've thought about it a lot and have come to reconsider things, especially because of Belle. You see when Belle kissed me, I almost turned back into a man, it would have been the end of the Dark One, but not my own end. I couldn't let that happen because all my being was focused on this curse and finding my son but now, I think that maybe my undoing means the Dark One's undoing. Maybe I'll simply lose my powers and be just a man." Gold reassured him.

"Good, because I don't want to kill anyone." Henry breathed out.

"There's something else I want us to talk about while we're at it. It concerns Peter Pan." Neal declared and his father looked up, worried.

"What about him?" Gold asked his son.

"By the way, before I tell you this, you should know that I met Killian Jones in Neverland. Goes by Captain Hook now but he's still hell bent on killing you. Because of mom... He told me what happened... Last time I saw him he was thinking of using dream-shade on his hook to kill you if he couldn't get his hand on your dagger." Neal informed his father.

"Well, we'll deal with this when the time comes. Until then, there's nothing we can do and my dagger is safe. You have to know Bae, I'm ready to die. All I did since you left, all I've been doing since that day was so I could find you, so I'd get a chance to say I love you. If the time comes when Hook kills me, I know I'll have deserved it and I'll be at peace because I made peace with you. Maybe I'll reunite with Belle in another life or something." He explained, bringing tears in Neal's and Henry's eyes while Emma tried to hide her own emotions.

"Anyway, what did you want to say about my father?" Gold asked his son after they had exchanged a hug.

"When I was in Neverland, Pan was looking for a specific boy. He had a drawing of him on a scroll and everything. I don't know what he looks like because I've never seen the drawing. I would have had to work for Pan to be trusted by him and I didn't want that... He called him the _**Truest Believer** _and... He needs his heart to save himself and live forever. The magic of the Island will run out on him eventually otherwise and he'll die. I... I don't know how to explain it but I think that Henry is the truest believer." Neal explained, revealing his fears to Emma and Henry for the first time.

"Because he's the son of the savior, her first born... and because he believes... Have you always believed Henry?"

Henry nodded nervously.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you. I think you're right Bae... Neal. There's nothing he can do while the curse is in place, as soon as it's broken, we'll figure out a way to keep your son safe." He explained.

"Using magic?" Henry asked.

"There's no magic here Henry... though it would be useful now." Neal sighted.

"Well, I did bottle up True Love and it's the most powerful magic of all... I made a potion of it using one hair from each of Emma's parents. I've stored it somewhere...safe. We could use it to bring back magic." He suggested.

"Why don't we concentrate on breaking the curse before you go talking of potions and magic? Henry is safe for now, right?" Emma asked.

"Yes, he is. No one will come and hurt him while he's here." Gold nodded and Emma nodded as well.

"Great then. Now, how about we start on dinner?" Neal asked.

"I've got a better idea, why don't we all go to Granny's? Maybe Emma will get to meet her mother. I know that Miss Blanchard, that's the name Snow White has here, usually eats there on Tuesday nights." He informed them.

"What about her father?" Henry asked.

"Prince James was injured the night the curse arrived. He was fighting dark knights to bring baby Emma to the magical wardrobe and got gravely injured. With the curse and everything, he's been in a coma at the hospital ever since and they don't remember each other. I'm sure he'll wake up as soon as the curse is broken. If not, we'll have to help him a bit." Gold assured them as he got up and guided them to the shortest way to Granny's dinner from his house, promising Henry to show him more of the town later, happy that his grandson was willing to spend time with him.

* * *

**So, what do you think of this reunion?**

**What will happen next?**

**Review? Please? My birthday is on the 17th... A review would be the perfect gift :-) the bigger the better!**

**LEANNE: if you sign in or leave an email address, I'll answer your questions personally, otherwise, you'll have to wait and read.**

**Love,**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Second chance in Tallahassee_**

**_Part 4_**

* * *

M. Gold and his family were sitting at Granny's and everyone was surprised to see the change in the man.

"I see you found your father. Congratulations." Ruby told Neal nicely when she handed them the menus.

"Thank you." He nodded, knowing she was just being nice. It was good for business.

They ordered their food and started to talk, getting to know each other better some more as they did. Gold introduced them to the people of the town as they came in, telling them who they had been in the Enchanted Forest so they'd be as well informed as possible.

"And this is Sheriff Graham. He was the Huntsman who let Snow White go."

"Does he still work for the Evil Queen?" Henry asked.

"You're smart Henry. Yes, he does but not willingly. Regina has his heart, and I don't mean in a figurative manner. She can make him do anything she wants as long as she holds it. She's forcing him to have an affair with her. He doesn't know that she's controlling him." he explained.

"That's so wrong." Emma shook her head.

"Can't you do anything about it?" Neal asked his father.

"Not until the curse is broken. Not without magic." Gold shook his head.

"I... I'm going to go and get our deserts at the counter." Emma decided after a few minutes.

Her mother was eating over at the counter, on her own, and she had been looking at her for the past few minutes, trying to decide on what to do. She wanted to believe in this curse, she knew that she had to and if they were right, this woman was the mother she had looked for during all those years.

"Take your time Emma." Neal nodded, understanding what she was doing and why.

Emma stood and went to the counter. Ruby was on the other side, talking to another customer and motioned that she'd be right there so Emma waited, right next to the woman who was supposed to be her mother.

"Hi! You must be our visitors. I'm Mary-Margaret Blanchard."

"I'm Emma Swan - Cassidy. It's nice to meet you." Emma smiled as she shook her hand.

"How long are you in town for?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"Well, since my husband found his father here, we're thinking of staying for good. Get a new start in this town. Maybe it'll turn out to be home." Emma replied honestly with a smile to welcome more conversation.

"That's great, maybe we'll see each other again then."

"I'd love that. It'd be good to know some new people. I have a feeling that my son and his father will be spending a lot of time with my father in law." Emma sighted.

"Being surrounded by men all the time must not be easy on a woman." Mary-Margaret smiled.

"You have no idea. I'm craving some feminine company." Emma joked.

"Why don't we meet up tomorrow then? Summer break just begun and I don't have to work. There's a book fair in town tomorrow, we could go there together. I'd introduce you to some people and we could get to know each other." She offered.

"I'd love that. Thank you." Emma nodded and they agreed that Mary-Margaret would come at the Pawnbroker's shop around 10 to pick up Emma.

After that Ruby arrived, the good teacher/princess paid for her food and left. Emma ordered their deserts and was about to go back to her seat until Ruby brought her order to them when Sheriff Graham went to introduce himself.

"So, what is a bails-bond person doing in Storybrook? Who are you looking for here?" he asked her.

"You've done your researches on me... Is that a habit of yours? Do you do a check up on everyone who comes to town?" She asked him.

"Honestly, we don't get many new visitors here and the mayor was worried so she asked me to look into it." he confessed.

"Well, we're here because my husband found out that his father was here. It's complicated and isn't a story that concerns anyone but our family but now that we've found him and reunited our family, we're thinking of staying here." Emma replied a bit on the defensive.

Graham rose his hands in a defensive position.

"I didn't mean to be offensive, I'm sorry if I was. I just wanted to welcome you to town and get to know you better." he replied with a smile and she noticed that his eyes traveled over her body in a very appreciative way before they stopped a few minutes on her wedding band.

Emma decided to make things clear with the Sheriff:

"Well, all you really need to know Sheriff is that my husband is Mister Gold's son and that we'll be living there until we find a place of our own. We're not the kind of people who bring trouble. And you can tell Madame Mayor that if she wants to know anything about us, the polite way to go is to come and ask the questions herself. She's not making a really good impression so far." Emma replied.

"If your thinking of staying, you might need a job here." Graham told her as she was about to turn around and leave.

"I'll find something, you don't have to worry about me Sheriff. My husband and I can take care of ourselves." She smiled.

"Please, call me Graham. I have enough in my budget to hire a deputy and I was thinking... You know the law and I could use some help... If you're interested, you know where to find me." He said with a wink before paying for his beer and leaving the dinner with one last look at Emma.

"What was that all about?" Neal asked her when she sat down.

"Where to start? My mother will pick me up tomorrow around 10 at the shop so we can go to the book fair together, then Graham told me that Regina asked him to look into us. He openly checked me out, knowing I was married and offered me a job as his deputy." She summarized.

"Already? He just met you! That's great!" Henry exclaimed.

"He checked you out? I don't like him." Neal shook his head.

"I think he's just feeling that she can free him from Regina, that's why he's attracted to her. He's a man of instinct, even if he doesn't remember it." Gold reassured his son.

"I think you should take the job, mom." Henry told his mother.

"He's right. It might help you break the curse and get to know people here." Neal added.

"What do you think?" She asked her father in law.

"I think they're right. You should take the job. And I think we should all go to the fair tomorrow morning." He replied.

"Why is it anyway? Usually book fairs are for charity or things like that..." Neal asked his father to change the subject.

"The official story is that the library has been closed and the books need to go so they don't collect dust but in reality it never opened. Regina didn't want to risk anyone reading the wrong book so she locked everything she didn't like in the clock tower and made it a library that was closed." Gold explained.

"Why is she letting everyone buy them then?" Henry asked.

"She wanted to leave all the books locked up in the library to protect her precious curse but I decided to cause trouble for her. I asked her to have a book fair to sell the books to the town's people and I added one of my magical '_please_' to it. She has to do anything I say, as long as I say 'please'. It's part of a deal I snuggled out of her." he explained.

"That was smart." Neal nodded.

.

The next morning, Emma decided that she'd accept Graham's job offer if she crossed him at the fair. If she didn't, she'd look for him the next day. She was in no hurry. Neal and Henry were right, working as a deputy in his town would definitely help her break the curse, it would put her in a good position to fight against the Evil Queen, who, apparently, was suspicious of her already.

Neal called August that morning to ask him to drive their truck to Storybrook when he came and their friend agreed. It was an option they had discussed earlier.

After eating a good breakfast as a family, they all went to Gold's shop for a couple of hours. There, Henry and Emma learned lots of things about the Enchanted Forest and when Mary-Margaret arrived, it was decided that Emma and Henry would go with her while Neal and his father would go a little later. They needed to spend some time on their own after all. They needed to bond without Emma and Henry present, to make up for lost time.

"Emma, I'm not too early, am I?" Mary-Margaret asked when she arrived.

"Not at all. Mary-Margaret, this is my husband Neal and my son Henry. I believe you already know my father in law." Emma introduced.

"Of course, he's my landlord." The good teacher replied with a nod as she greeted Neal, Gold and Henry.

"Neal and his father want to spend some time together, you don't mind if Henry comes along, do you?" Emma asked her new friend/mother.

"Of course not, the more the merrier." Mary-Margaret smiled kindly at the little boy who liked her already.

"Great, because he loves to read." Emma smiled before she kissed Neal goodbye and they walked to the center of town, where the book fair was taking place.

On the way, Henry talked a lot with Mary-Margaret, asking her if she believed in fairy tales, which one was her favorite one and if she was married or in love.

"I'm sorry, he asks a lot of questions." Emma apologized later as Henry looked at the different books, selecting the ones he wanted along the way.

"Don't worry about it, I'm a teacher, I'm used to kids asking personal questions." She smiled.

Emma and Mary-Margaret talked a lot and Emma even met other people. Henry had found a big pile of books he wants and after about three hours, when Neal arrived, he took the books and carried them with Gold's help so that Henry could find more.

"You know, i could just order him new editions of those books and have them all delivered at home." Gold suggested to his son.

"Don't take the fun out of it." Emma chuckled before Neal explained that Henry liked it better when he had to look for it.

"Mom look!" Henry exclaimed as he came back with a large book with ONCE UPON A TIME written on top of it in large letters.

"This looks old." Mary-Margaret exclaimed.

"Look inside mom. It's all in there, everything dad told us about is here." Henry said as he opened the book at the last page, where the curse came and a baby named Emma was placed in a wardrobe.

"Oh." Emma gasped as she grabbed the book.

As she did, she saw it all happen in her head. It brought her very first memories back, as she was placed by Doc in her crying mother's arms, how her father was with them, how Snow decided to send Emma on her own to give her her best chance, how her father fought lack knights to get her to the wardrobe... She saw it all and she finally was a believer, without a doubt. She was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and her parents loved her.

"What is it? Are you alright Emma?" Mary-Margaret asked, concerned for her friend.

"It's... I'm fine... This book just brought back memories... of my mom...and my dad..." Emma replied, seeing the teacher in a new light as she dried her fresh tears.

"What's in this book? Fairy tales?" She asked curiously.

"A...different version of Snow White... Apparently in this book, the princess has a child named Emma." Emma explained.

"Really? Who knew that Snow White had a child, but I guess it makes sense, the story can't end with a wedding, not if it's a happy one. There has to be a child." Mary-Margaret smiled as she, too, looked at the book, not sensing every eye on her.

"Here, look." Emma tried to get her mother to hold the book so she could see everything as well but Gold shook his head, telling her with this move that it wouldn't work.

"I'll go and pay for it." Neal declared and his father followed him, trying to convince him to let him pay.

He wanted to do this for his grandson. Luckily for them, the stand where they could pay for the books wasn't very far.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Regina said as she came closer and smirked.

The Sheriff wasn't far behind her, looking at a book on wolves but he glanced at Emma every once in a while.

"Madame Mayor, this fair is a nice turn out isn't it?" Mary-Margaret asked politely.

"Yes, it appears to have been a great idea I had that day. What's this? This book shouldn't be here." Regina tried to take it back from the teacher's hands but Emma was quicker and stepped in front of her mother who was still holding the book with Henry by her side, turning pages and discovering stories and images.

"We paid for it. This book belongs to my son now." Emma declared in a strong voice, showing the Evil woman that she wasn't afraid of her.

"Isn't it time you and your family went on your way? I thought you were just passing through?"Regina snapped.

"Why would we do that? My husband found his father and we've decided to move here permanently to stay close to him. We called a friend of ours this morning and he will bring the truck with our things here. As it turns out, his father lives in this town as well." Emma replied, not afraid of the queen who had tried to kill her as a baby.

"And who's that? Who's your father in law?" Regina asked, not believing it.

"Why I am. Don't look so surprised Regina, you knew I had a son. You know it's why I did everything... I was lucky enough that he met Emma here and she helped him find me... She really was my _savior_. Let's hope she'll be a savior for this town as well. She gave me my happy ending and is about to bring another... Maybe she'll give everyone what they've lost." Gold said with a smirk as he joined Emma and Henry again with Neal.

Neal and him had come back just in time to hear the queen speak. As he spoke, he insisted on the word Savior, planning on tempting the queen a bit and he smiled when she paled at this mention.

Behind them, Mary-Margaret looked a bit confused.

"You... Emma... The savior... No... You have to leave this town right now or I'll have Graham throw you in jail!" Regina said in an angry voice.

"On what ground? We haven't done anything. Emma knows the law very well and my father is a lawyer. You can't do anything if we didn't break any law." Neal protested.

"You can't do this Regina. You have no right." Mary-Margaret protested.

"I'll find something." Regina replied, ignoring the teacher.

"You're afraid, aren't you... You know why I'm here... You know you're about to lose..." Emma said in a quiet voice.

"I will destroy you before you can do anything." Regina snapped before she turned around and waved for Graham to join her.

* * *

**So, another chapter done. **

**What did you think? **

**Thank you for following, favoriting and reviewing on this story. I hope you'll keep on liking it.**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Second chance in Tallahassee**_

_**5**_

* * *

"Regina wait." Emma called out as the mayor started to walk away with the reluctant sheriff by her side.

They were already whispering, Graham looking angry, like he was trying to refuse doing what the mayor told him and Emma felt back for him.

"You have to stop her before she tries anything Emma." Neal whispered to his wife, ignoring the teacher's confusing gaze.

"I know. I'll break her curse right here in front of her." Emma replied quickly as the queen stopped in her tracks.

"What?" Regina turned around and glared at Emma.

Graham did the same, except he didn't glare, he smiled at Emma, as if encouraging her.

"I just want you to see it happen." Emma smirked before she turned her father in law.

"See what?" Regina asked, annoyed.

"I can break it now, right?" The savior asked Gold and he nodded with a kind smile for his daughter in law on his face.

"Henry, honey, you know that I love you, right?" Emma asked her son who nodded with a bright smile and Emma bent to kiss his forehead in a way only mothers know how.

"Smart move, there is no truer love than the love a mother has for her child..." Gold replied.

"In most cases at least." Neal replied, thinking of his own mother who had run away with a pirate rather than take care of him.

A wave of magic left Emma's lips after they touched her son's head and it went all over the town forcing old memories into everyone.

"Emma... My baby... You did it..." Mary-Margaret exclaimed as she went to hug her daughter.

"No!" Regina yelled with rage.

"Sheriff, I know she's controlling you, you should stay by Emma, her presence will protect you from being used. She's the only one with magic right now." Gold advised and the huntsman nodded and, still glaring at the queen that had used him for so long, he stood next to Emma.

"No! This isn't over! I will win this!" Regina yelled, running away to her car and driving back to her house.

"Emma... Honey you found me..." Mary-Margaret said one more time and Emma smiled and went to hug her mother back, tears in her eyes.

"Mom... I... This is Henry, your grandson and Neal, my husband... Rumpelstiltskin's son." Emma said.

"Well, I guess this makes us family now." Snow told the Dark One who nodded, still smiling when the 7 dwarfs, Ruby and Granny rushed to hug Snow.

"What about Grandpa? The other one I mean, mom's dad?" Henry asked curiously.

"The blast of True Love's magic should have been enough to heal him and wake him up. We should go and check on him at the hospital. If he didn't wake up, I should be able to guide Emma in how to heal him." Gold declared, surprising them all by offering his help for free.

"I have to speak with Marco first." Emma said.

"You go and save your dad, I'll talk to him." Neal offered and Emma nodded.

"I'll stay with dad and we'll meet you at the hospital when we're done." Henry decided and Emma nodded, kissing them both and going to the hospital, followed by almost everyone.

"What about Regina, shouldn't we take care of her first?" Graham asked.

"I think if she wants to make good on her promise, her first move would be to go to my father and hurt him. We'll deal with her once he's safe." Emma declared.

"So, did you think about my offer at all?" Graham asked her on the way.

"I did. I was going to accept it next time I saw you." She nodded.

"Great, I had a feeling you'd say that. Here." He handed her a badge.

She smiled and put it on her belt.

.

When they arrived at the hospital, everyone followed Gold to Charming's room.

"You're the one who broke the curse?" A doctor with the name tag "Whale" asked Emma.

"I am. We're here to see my father. Has Regina been in today?" Emma asked.

"Yes, she just arrived to see John Doe. Who's your father?" he replied, confused.

"Let's go." Emma started running toward her father's room, ignoring the doctor's last question.

"Hurry." Snow yelled behind her, running by her side.

They came through the doors at the same time and Regina was about to put a syringe in his arm.

"No!" Emma yelled and instinctively managed to get a light ball out of her hands and on Regina, sending her flying on the other side of the room.

"Wow, you're more powerful than I thought you'd be..." Gold exclaimed with wide eyes.

"It was instinct... I wanted to keep him safe, to get her away from him..." Emma whispered.

"You did good honey." Snow said as she went to kiss her husband, talking to him and trying to get him to open his eyes.

"Emma has to be the one to wake him up then. Even your true love's magic won't work here, not until I bring magic back." Gold explained.

"Regina first." Emma growled, Graham by her side with his gun out.

"You shouldn't have gone against me Graham. I could have given you everything. You're going to pay for your betrayal." Regina snapped angrily as she got a glowing red heart from her pocket.

"My heart!" he realised.

"Not anymore. Now it's mine and I can do what I want with it." She snapped and Graham pointed his gun toward her.

"Give it back or I'll shoot you." He yelled.

"Or I can order you to kill the savior here." Regina smirked.

"It won't work Regina, you've lost." Gold explained calmly.

"We'll see about that." Regina replied, still smirking.

While they talked, Emma concentrated on her magic but without the life of someone she loved on the line and without magic, it was harder to make it happen. Taking a big calming breath, she concentrated on the love she felt for Neal and Henry and for her need to protect them, to keep them safe and a ball of light appeared in her hands.

"Too late savior." Regina said as she crushed Graham's heart, turning it to dust in front of them as Emma's light left her hands and rushed to the fallen queen.

Graham had fired when Regina started to crush his heart, right before he died and the bullet entered her right shoulder just before Emma's light did. Regina was now unconscious and bleeding on the floor.

"Is he really dead? Can't we do anything for him?" Emma asked her father in law, looking back to him just in time to see Henry and Neal arriving in the back ground.

"Don't let Henry come in, Neal." Emma added urgently and her husband nodded as Leroy went to tell them what happened.

"I'm afraid even I can't do anything against a crushed heart... Even with magic... I've heard tales of True Love couples being able to be saved if one of them had his heart crushed by splitting the survivor's heart in half but he's alone, no True Love..." He shook his head sadly.

After that, Doctor Whale took care of healing Regina's wound while she was still unconscious while a couple of nurses removed Graham's body. Once Regina was healed, Emma asked that she be sedated. Then she took the cuffs from Graham's belt and placed them on Regina.

Once this was done, she went to her mother and finally, kissed her father's forehead, concentrating on the love she felt for her husband and for her son and for the love she felt for him when she remembered him fighting black knights and risking his life for her, to put her to safety. He was in this bed because he saved her, she needed to save him. He was her father, the daddy she had cried for every night when she was a kid, the one she had called whenever she got scared... Now that she knew why he never came to the rescue, she had to be the one to rescue him.

Of course it worked and Henry came back in the room just in time to see his grandfather sitting up and hugging Snow.

"Charming, let me introduce you to our daughter, Emma. This is her son Henry and her husband Neal... Neal is the Dark One's son." Snow explained quickly, trying to bring her husband up to date.

"I guess I've missed a lot... If Emma's here it means I've been asleep for 28 years... We have a lot to talk about, lots of catching up to do." The prince smiled.

"I guess we do..." Emma smiled.

"Listen, I need to put Regina in a cell at the station. Now that Graham is dead and since I took the position of Deputy, I guess that makes me sheriff for now, until elections or something..." Emma started to say.

"Why hold elections? You're the saviors and you broke the curse sister. If you want the job, it's yours. Nobody will fight you on this." Leroy declared with a smile and Emma smiled back at him.

"I guess you're right... Anyway, I'll go and put her in jail, check things over there. Neal, I'll need your help to carry her. How about Snow... I mean... Mom and dad... You catch up or whatever, Henry, you go with Gold. We all meet around 6 at Granny's for dinner?" Emma suggested.

"Of course. Don't worry Emma, Henry will be safe with me." Gold assured her.

"I know." She smiled.

"Emma..." Charming started.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Be careful..." he said.

She felt like he had wanted to say something else, maybe protest about Henry going to the Dark One but he changed his mind, either because Snow shook her head and reassured him or because he decided to trust her.

"I always am." She smiled.

"We'll see you all later." Neal said.

"Are you sure It'll take you this long at the station mom?" Henry asked her.

"Putting Regina in a cell should be quick kid but I have a feeling that a lot of people will have questions and will need help." Emma replied.

"We also need to try and see what happens when we cross the town line." Gold reminded them.

"We're on it. We'll check the line and come find Princess Emma at the station to tell her what happens if someone cross it." Leroy offered.

"Good idea thanks... hum... Grumpy, right?" Emma smiled.

"Yes your highness." he smiled.

"Oh, you can lose the highness there. If I can accept that my parents are Snow White and Prince Charming and that your the real Grumpy, who was always my favorite dwarf by the way, I'm not ready to accept that I'm a princess." She smiled.

"As you wish." he smiled, understanding.

"We'll let doctor Whale check your father and I'll explain everything to him. Here, it's my cell phone number Emma. Call if you need anything." Snow told her daughter who nodded, hugged her parents and son one last time and went to carry the sleeping Queen with her husband who was all too willing to help.

As Emma left the room, she heard her father sight and say:

"I can't believe my baby girl is married... He better be a good guy."

Then she heard Henry replied:

"Don't worry grandpa, dad is good with mom."

"Meeting the dad... I knew it was coming but still... I'm nervous." Neal revealed as they reached the car.

"That's why you were so eager to help me out at the station?" She asked him.

"Of course." he smiled.

After a few minutes of driving he asked her:

"What about you, why didn't you stay with your parents?"

"Because if I had been separated from you for 28 years, I'd like a moment with you alone so we could catch up..." She replied.

"By catch up you mean... Right... me too." He nodded before he added "Thank you by the way, for trusting my father with Henry."

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked him.

"Because you know everything he did now. You know how dark he can get." Neal replied.

"It doesn't matter who he was. What I care about is who he is now and I believe he truly has changed and that he truly cares for Henry." She replied.

"Your super power?" Neal asked her.

She nodded.

.

A few hours later, Regina was waking up in her cell at the station, enraged and unable to break out. Leroy and the dwarfs had come to warn Emma that if you crossed the town line, you lost your memories all over again and if she was able to give Sneezy his memories back by using her powers, she asked the dwarfs to spread the word around town while she and Neal went to place signs asking people not to cross the line unless they wanted to lose all of their memories all over again.

When Emma and Neal finally went to Granny's, her parents, Henry and Gold were already there along with her parents' closest friends and as soon as she walked inside, they all clapped, congratulating her for freeing them from the Queen.

Snow informed her daughter that they would bury Graham the next day and that everyone had agreed to make her the sheriff while she and Charming were asked to step in as mayor.

They all had a party to celebrate their victory and Emma got to know her father and her mother better. At some point, she also saw her father and Neal talking but since they were both smiling the entire time, she didn't worry too much. She was also happy to see that Gold had made peace with everyone else in town.

Maybe this was what a happy ending looked like, maybe she had been wrong not to believe in them from the start.

* * *

**Another chapter done... For something that was supposed to be short, it's growing and I still don't know where I'm going with it. it's growing as I go...**

**And no, this isn't an end. There are more chapters coming. **

**If there's something you'd like to see happening, I'd love to hear it. **

**Don't forget to give me a little review (or a big one)**

**Check my other stories.**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Second chance in Tallahassee _**

**_6_**

* * *

The next day started with Graham's funeral where most of the town came and used the opportunity to thank Emma for breaking the curse and freeing them from Regina and her evil dark curse.

Thinking that they couldn't stay at Gold's house forever, Emma and Neal started looking for places to live in but Gold intervened and told them that he had already found them the perfect place, a house that was near the town's center and close to Snow's loft and his house. Since he owned it, it would be his gift to them and they accepted. After visiting the house, they had to admit that it was perfect for their little family and that Gold had done things well.

As if it had all been planned, August arrived just after they accepted the house.

"Perfect timing man." Neal said as August got out of the truck to hug them.

"As always. You don't mind if I go find my father before I join you at your new house, right?" He asked.

"Of course not. He knows where it is already. Go and see him. We'll have plenty of help until then." Emma assured her friend with a kind smile.

It didn't take Emma long to convince her parents to help them unload the truck that Neal had driven from his father's shop to their new house. Prince Charming and Snow came happily to help their daughter and her family with 7 dwarfs, Ruby, Granny, Archie and several other of their good friends. All of them were more than happy to help their savior and princess and soon, the house was fully furnished, the truck was empty and all that was left to do was to sort through the boxes that had been placed in the right rooms of the house.

August and his father joined them in the middle of the action and they helped along with everyone else. August proudly showed his father the pieces of furniture that he had done himself and the old man couldn't hold his pride for his son any longer.

That evening, once everything was settled, Emma and Neal improvised a party with all the people that came to help them. Granny got some of her lasagnas, people brought drinks and food and soon, they were all talking and laughing.

.

A few days later, a nurse from the hospital came to see Emma at the station. She looked like she had ran from her car to Emma and she seemed to have something urgent to report.

"What can I help you with Miss?" Emma asked her.

She recognized her. She had seen the woman going through a secure door the day they had awaken her father.

"I... It's Regina... When we were cursed, I didn't think twice about it but now..." The woman seemed to be looking for the right words to say.

"What is it?" Emma insisted.

She had other things to do with her day. Storybrook might be a small town, but she still had lots of things to do, mostly she needed to calm small quarrels between neighbors and old friends.

"In the basement of the hospital, in a restricted area, there are rooms, isolation rooms. Only one of them is occupied though and... The woman inside, she didn't say anything when we were cursed but now she does. She yelled a long time until I came to see her. She said that her name was Belle and that she was being held prisoner by Regina. I didn't know who else to tell..." the nurse finished explaining quickly, relieved to be free of this burden.

"Belle, are you sure? She said her name was Belle?" Emma asked.

"Yes. You know her, don't you? You reacted to the name." She asked back.

"I've heard of her from my father in law. He thought she was dead." Emma said in a quiet voice.

"Well, she's alive and wants out. She's not dangerous, is she?" The nurse nodded.

"No, not at all. Alright, head back to the hospital and wait for me in front of the basement door. I'll be there in less than 30 minutes." Emma told her as she grabbed her jacket and left the station with the nurse who ran back to the hospital.

Emma jumped in the patrol car and drove to her father in law's shop. Not bothering the lock the car, she ran inside, slamming the door against the wall as she did.

"Emma? What's wrong?" Neal asked her, worried as Gold and he rushed to her while she caught her breath.

"Rumpel... I just heard... Hospital... Come with me, now. I'll explain on the way." Emma said quickly and, sensing the urgency in her tone, Gold nodded and followed her while Neal closed the shop and followed them to the patrol car.

As soon as they were seated, Emma turned the siren on and drove as quickly as she could to the hospital. On the way, she quickly explained what the nurse had told her, making them understand why she had rushed.

"Why didn't she come forward earlier?" Neal asked Emma.

"At first she thought it was someone crazy but then she decided to take a look to see why she was yelling. Let's hope she's fine." Emma replied.

"Are you sure it's her? That Regina lied about this?" Gold asked her in a small voice.

"I don't know. I guess we'll see when we find her but I know that if my mother was here she'd tell you it alright to have hope." Emma replied with a smile for her tortured father in law.

"If it's really her, someone should tell her father to come over... He's Moe French, the owner of the flower shop." Gold suggested, deciding to do things right from the beginning.

"I'll do it." Neal assured his father, taking his phone out.

Neal called Emma's parents, who were watching Henry for the day, to create a bond with their grandson. The Charming couple told them they would get doctor Hopper and join them at the hospital as soon as they could. Neal also asked them to warn Moe French that there might be hope for his daughter and to explain that she fell in love with the dark one, who loved her back, but that Regina took her prisoner and locked her away and make him think she was dead all this time. He didn't want his father to get attacked right as he found love again.

The rest of the drive was quick and silent. Neal didn't know what to say. He wanted to support his father but didn't know how.

They arrived to see that the nurse was waiting for them and that she was being yelled at by Doctor Whale.

"What's going on here?" Emma asked, rushing to them while Neal walked next to his father, who couldn't run.

"I just told him that you were coming, and why. He didn't know there was anyone down there..." The nurse replied, her head down.

"I'm the head of this hospital, I should have known. I thought there was only the lab down there." Whale assured Emma.

"It's okay, don't worry. Regina played her cards well." Emma told him, understanding that he was only yelling at the nurse because he was afraid of the consequences of his not knowing.

"I... I just don't want trouble with the dark one." Whale nodded.

"You won't Victor." Gold said.

"Now, why don't you open the door so we can free Belle, check if she's alright. You should come with us Doctor Whale, who knows what Regina put her through." Emma suggested.

"Maybe someone should call Doctor Hopper before we go down there?" Another nurse suggested.

"He's on his way already. Snow will bring him." Neal assured as they climbed down the steps.

It was obvious by the way he gripped his cane that Gold was nervous and his son's comforting hand on his arm reassured him. He wasn't alone anymore, he wouldn't ever be alone again. Emma was right, it was alright to have hope.

"It's this one." The nurse said after a while.

They had stopped in front of a locked padded room after walking several minutes and turning several corners. Emma noted in the back of her mind that she needed to have someone she trusted to look around here, maybe the dwarfs. She was sure that there was many more things they didn't know about that Regina was hiding down there.

Emma nodded and the nursed opened the door. The padded room was dark and the light of the corridor seemed to blind the woman inside, even though she stood in the dark. She was wearing an old hospital gown and her hair hadn't been combed in a while. She obviously hadn't been fed as much as she should have been as well.

"Belle, is that you?" Emma asked.

"Who are you?" A voice asked.

"I'm Emma. You're safe now." The savior replied before stepping aside and motioning for Gold that it was okay for him to come in.

"Belle? It's alright, I'm here. Regina is locked away, she can't hurt you now." Rumpelstiltskin said as he stepped into the room.

"Rumple? You found me? I knew you would." Belle exclaimed as she jumped in his arms and hugged him tightly.

"I thought you were dead for so long... I'm sorry it took me so long..." He whispered in her ears.

"You're here now, that's what counts." She told him.

"Come now, a doctor will examine you to make sure you're fine." He told her and she followed them out of her cell, through the dark and dirty corridor, up the stairs and into the light, into the free world.

As they stepped back into the hospital's main hall, Snow, Charming, Henry, Doctor Hopper and Belle's father were waiting patiently. Moe French looked pretty stressed out, probably as much as Gold had been.

"Belle!" The flower shop owner exclaimed.

"Father!" She exclaimed back and Gold freed her from his arms so she could hug her father.

After a few minutes of hugs, Doctor Whale pulled Belle into a room and was joined by Doctor Hopper while they all sat in the waiting room. Gold and Mister French used this opportunity to make peace and talk things out.

It took over an hour for the two doctors to examine Belle fully and everyone was growing tensed.

"I swear if there's anything wrong with Belle because of Regina, there will be no stopping me from killing her." The Dark one exclaimed.

"She seemed fine, I'm sure it's only taking this long because Doctor Whale is being overly cautious. He knows she's important for you and doesn't want to miss anything." Emma tried to reassure him.

"She better be." Mister French added.

As if knowing things were becoming tensed, Doctor Whale walked out of the room:

"She's fine. A bit underfed but I think it will be handled easily with a few good meals. Doctor Hopper is talking with her right now, I advise her going for a few more sessions in the next few weeks... Spending over 30 years in a dark cell, isolated and without company... It can be hard on someone. Especially since she apparently felt time, unlike the rest of us." he advised.

"So Nothing's wrong with her? She's not sick or anything else?" Gold asked one more time.

"I did a complete blood work and everything seems to be fine. She's in perfect health." He told them before walking away to deal with another patient.

Belle walked out of the room in normal cloths. Apparently, Snow had anticipated and brought something, just in case. The young woman was introduced to everyone, including her Love's son and his family and they all decided to go get some food at Granny's to celebrate before decisions of living arrangements were done.

.

Leroy was already at Granny's when they arrived and he, too, was happy to see that Belle was alive and fine. He joined their little party.

Belle discovered Iced Tea and hamburgers during this little party and she found that she absolutely adored them. Her father and Gold were both glad to discover that this adventure down Regina's cell hadn't tempered with her enthusiasm and her natural joy of life.

In the end, Belle decided to go and live with her father for now. She promised Gold to come and see him the next day so they could talk and reunite. He made it clear that he loved her and that this time, he was ready to love her, to be with her and she was glad. He was ready to be brave and to fight for her.

* * *

**What did you think of the way they found Belle?**

**Thank you for following, reading, reviewing and favoriting this story. Keep it coming!**

**Review please?**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Second chance in Tallahassee_**

**_7_**

* * *

Even if the next few weeks were pretty calm, Emma and her family were tensed, mainly because there was still the potential threat of Peter Pan wanting Henry hanging over their heads and also because Emma felt something coming, something bad for her family.

"Why don't you just ask Gold to bring back magic like you planed?" Snow asked her daughter as the savior spent the day with her parents.

"Well... he's happy right now, reuniting with Belle, going on dates, bonding with Neal and Henry... I don't want to ruin it by reminding them that someone might be coming for Henry." She explained.

"You have to think about him though... If this Peter Pan is as evil and as dangerous as Rumpel and Neal say he is, and I think we should believe he is, then we need to do everything we can to protect not only Henry but the town as well." Charming reasoned with his daughter.

"You're right... I'll speak to him about it tonight, he and Belle are coming over for dinner." Emma nodded before they went back to talking for a while before Charming gave his daughter a sword fighting lesson.

.

That evening, once dinner was over, Emma brought up bringing back magic, telling them about her bad feeling and how she felt it became urgent to protect the town and more importantly, her son.

"Do you get them often, these feelings?" Gold asked Emma.

"Not too often, but they always turn out right." Emma replied.

"Last time she had it, I broke my leg at work." Neal nodded.

"You're lucky it was just your leg and not your neck. I had been telling you to get rid of that rusty old ladder for weeks but since old Henry had it, you refused to let it go. It finally broke and you were lucky your leg was all that broke after your fall." Emma snapped at her husband.

"That day I swore never to doubt her word again." Neal smiled fondly.

"Well, I guess we could take care of it tomorrow but I'll have to find a way to prevent Regina from using magic once it's back. I'll work on it tonight and in the morning. I'll call you when I'm ready and we'll all meet in front of the library." The Dark One declared.

"The library? Why?" Belle asked him.

"In the basement under the library, Regina hid a dragon. In this dragon, Charming hid a golden egg for me. In this egg is a potion created with True Love. One hair from Snow White and one hair from prince Charming. We'll have to get it." He explained.

"Fight a dragon? That's all?" Neal asked, rolling his eyes.

"I'm afraid we don't have a choice if we want to bring magic back but it will be the hardest part of it. Once we have it, we'll just have to pour it down the well right outside of town." Gold smiled.

"How can we even kill the dragon? Gun?" Emma asked.

"I'm afraid guns won't work... A Sword will do. Your father did kill a dragon with a sword once. I actually still have it in my shop." Gold replied.

"So, tomorrow, my father and I will go down and get it, you'll stay up with Neal and as soon as we have the egg, you'll be ready to rush and pour it down the well. I don't want to waste any time." Emma decided and everyone nodded.

"Are you sure? I'd feel better going down there with you..." Neal protested.

"No, if something goes wrong, you need to be up there to protect Henry. Plus, I can still use my magic. We'll be fine." Emma replied.

"Fine." Neal nodded and Gold lead Belle to the door after saying goodbye.

.

The next morning, everything went according to plans and a little before noon, Gold brought to Emma a special cuff he made with the magic he had left. They placed it on Regina's wrist and after getting the confirmation that she couldn't be able to take it off, they decided to have some lunch and get the egg in the beginning of the afternoon.

Around 2 pm, Emma, Neal and Henry arrived at the library to see not only Gold waiting (Belle was minding the shop), but also Charming, Snow, Ruby and the 7 dwarfs.

"Wow, that's a lot of people. Dad and I are the only one going down there, you know that, right?" Emma asked.

"Of course Princ...I mean, Emma. But in case something goes wrong, we'll be ready to rush in and help." Grumpy replied and she smiled.

"And we'll be ready to escort Rumpelstiltskin to the well once we have the egg." Happy added.

"Okay... Let's go then." Emma sighted.

While her father had a sword that apparently used to belong to his twin brother and was completely golden, Emma had in her hands the sword she had seen her father used when he defended her as a baby.

"Be careful mom." Henry asked her.

"Don't worry kid, I'll be fine. We'll both come back completely fine in no time." Emma assured her son.

"I know. You're a hero, you're both heroes." Henry smiled as he hugged his mother tighter.

Emma and her father, prince Charming, both entered the elevator that Gold was maneuvering, showing Snow and Ruby how to use it in case it was needed later.

"First father-daughter outing? Personnally, I would have prefered an awkward shopping session at the mall." Emma joked.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Her father smiled.

"I know. I'm just saying, shopping is usually less dangerous than fighting off a dragon." She replied.

"Usually? Tell you what, tomorrow, I'll take you shopping, just the two of us and you can make this as awkward as you like." He suggested.

"Deal." She nodded with a bright smile before the doors of the elevator opened and they both got out.

Of course, they didn't have long to wait before they were welcomed by the dragon. Apparently, she didn't like being disturbed after being alone for so long.

"Maybe if we tell her that we can free her from this place and this form, she'll be less hostile..." Emma suggested in a voice loud enough to be heard by her father above the noise.

"You can try, but I doubt she's in any mood to listen to us." He shook his head, brandishing his sword while Emma mimicked him.

"Maleficent, we don't want to hurt you. We just want the golden egg hidden inside you. If you give it to us without fighting, we can make a deal and free you from this form and from this place. Regina is locked up, paying for her crimes. She can't hurt anyone anymore." Emma yelled at the dragon who answered by breathing fire on her.

Thankfully, the savior was able to protect herself with her magic.

"Told you it wouldn't work." David chuckled, enjoying this moment that reminded him how it had all started for him.

For the next few minutes, there was a lot of running around.

Maleficent's dragon form seemed to know the place very well, which made sense since she had been locked in there for over 28 years, and she managed to trap Charming behind a pile of fallen rocks, some of them over one of his legs. If he was conscious and could see his daughter and speak with her, he couldn't move or join her, not until she managed to help him out if there (or more likely get the dwarfs to do it).

Emma knew that she was alone with the dragon now. It was up to her to get the egg, to protect her son.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm taking part in the first task of the Tri-wizard tournament?" Emma muttered, making a mental note to ask her father in law later if Hogward existed or if it was just fiction.

Of course, in Harry Potter, the egg was outside the dragon, making it all much easier. Harry Potter didn't have to slice his dragon open in order to get the egg, the boy who lived had it easy. What she wouldn't have given to be able to use a simple attraction spell like Accio... Although she felt better having a pointy sword in her hands rather than a supposedly magical piece of wood and she remembered that in the book, Harry had wished to trade his wand for a sword.

The boy who lived vs the savior, who would get the egg faster? Emma shook these thoughts out of her head. She could always compare her own skills with Harry Potter's later on, when nothing was threatening her loved ones' safety and when she didn't have a giant dragon breathing fire on her.

"Okay bitch, it's just you and me now. I gave you the chance to play nice, now it's too late." Emma decided, getting a firmer hold on her sword.

Her father was watching her and it was her chance to make him proud, to show him that she was his daughter, that she could do this. It was her chance to save her father's life just like he had fought for hers when he carried her to the wardrobe 28 years ago.

Running away from her father so that Maleficent couldn't hurt him anymore than he already was, Emma suddenly turned around, surprising the dragon as she threw the sword as hard as she could, using her magic to guide it right in the dragon's glowing heart.

Of course Maleficent didn't go down easy.

She breathed more fire on Emma, then turned her head to breath fire on Charming but it didn't last long. In a few minutes, she was on the floor, unmoving but still in her dragon form. Emma rushed to her and grabbed her sword, who was still firmly planted in her chest. She wasn't used to cutting living things open but she concentrated on Henry's safety and managed to free the big golden egg rather quickly.

"Is she still alive?" Charming yelled from his stone prison.

"I think so, yes. What shall I do?" Emma asked but before her father could reply, Maleficent turned back into a woman, healed but still on the floor and still unmoving.

"Thank you... It feels nice to be free from that thing." The woman on the floor breathed out.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you need help getting out of here?" Emma asked her, willing to give the woman a second chance, as long as she could sign some sort of magical contract with Rumpelstiltskin.

"I... I can't leave this place alive, Regina made sure of that. I can already feel that I'm weakening." Maleficent breathed out with difficulty.

"I'm so sorry... What can I do to help you?" Emma asked her.

"To help me? Nothing. But Regina... She hid something down here... A fail safe to her curse. You can't let her get her hands on it. It's a small black diamond shaped stone. If hit with the strongest of the dwarfs's axes, it will destroy this town and everyone in it, at least everyone born in the Enchanted Forest." The woman had a hard time speaking and Emma was thankful that she used her last moments to help them.

"That's horrible. Do you know where it is?" Emma asked her and Maleficent pointed to a glass coffin.

"In there. Be careful." She adivsed as Emma rushed to the broken glass coffin and managed rather quickly to find the black diamond that could kill them all.

"Can it be destroyed?" Emma asked the witch.

"I don't know. Maybe the Dark One will be able to help... I... I can't... not anymore..." Maleficent replied, unable to speak more.

"It's okay... Thank you for your help. You can rest in peace now." Emma told her and the once evil woman closed her eyes for the last time.

"She's dead." Emma annonced to her father.

"I'm surprised she helped at all. Anyway, well done Emma." He congratulated her.

"I don't think I can get you out of here on my own, I'll call Grumpy and the others to help." Emma said after rushing to him and trying to move the rock on her own.

"I'll be fine a while longer, don't worry." he reassured her.

"I'll be right back with help." She assured him with a bright smile before she ran to the elevator with the big golden egg.

Once she was back in the library, she gave the egg to her father in law who rushed to use it with Henry and Neal while Emma went back down with Snow and the dwarfs to free her father and get Maleficent's body away, give her a decent resting place.

"Maybe we should check the place out some more, maybe Regina hid something else down here..." Snow suggested, obviously worried.

"We'll be able to do that later. Once Rumple brings back the magic, he'll be able to scan the place and tell us excactly what is left here that's dangerous." Emma replied.

They all agreed and made their way back to the elevatore with Charming, who couldn't walk on his left leg because of the rock that fell on it and with Maleficent's body, who would be burried in the cemetery.

.

Bringing magic back had been rather easy once the egg was out of the dragon. Gold let Henry carry it to the well and he even let his grandson the honor of opening it before he poured it down. Soon, a light purple cloud elevated in the air and passed over the entire town.

"Did it work?" Neal asked his father.

"Yes, I can feel it. My magic is back... but now we have a problem." He replied.

"What is it?" Neal asked.

"I don't know if it's Peter Pan, but I can feel a dark evil coming to us, danger for us all. We better get ready, place more protections around the town. I need to start working on helping Emma control her magic. With her brand of light magic, she could be even more powerful than me, which would be a good thing." Gold explained.

"What about your dagger? What if someone finds it?" Henry asked his grandfather with worry.

"Right now it's hidden in the clock tower. I'll go and get it as soon as we're done here. I can hide it in my shop, protected by blood magic but then Peter Pan could get it if he came... or I could hide it with other kind of spells..." He explained as they slowly made their way back to the town.

"You could also place false clues to false hiding places. Like a map leading to a place in the woods were you supposedly hid it when it's really somewhere else..." Henry suggested.

"Good idea Henry." Gold nodded.

As they walked, the Dark One thought over Henry's false clue idea and slowly started forming many different strategies and ideas while he thought of the perfect hiding place for his dagger: himself. He could use his magic to absorb the dagger inside him, this way nobody would be able to get it and he could hide a false dagger in one of the fake hidden spot. It would be perfect and he would be sure that nobody would control him.

.

When everyone was done doing what they were supposed to do, they all met at Granny's were Charming had a cast on his leg and was telling everyone who would listen, meaning over half the town, that Emma was great with a sword and his rightful heir. The blond savior was blushing under all her father's compliments but she liked it too. Hearing her father proudly compliment her was something she had dreamt of her entire life and she couldn't be any happier than she was in this instant.

Later, once they had all eaten and drank a bit, Gold and Emma went to work on placing protections all around the town and settled a schedule for Emma to practice her magic.

* * *

**So, what did you think of this?**

**I truly don't know how much longer it'll be... But I can tell you that it will end with the death of one of the main character...**

**Thank you for the love you've been giving this story!**

**Don't forget to review please!**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Second chance in Tallahassee _**

**_8_**

* * *

After bringing magic back and placing protections as strong as possible all around the town, things calmed down enough for Emma to be able to share her time between her new job as Sheriff, her training in magic with her father in law and getting to know her parents better. She was very busy but loved the life she had in Storybrook. It finally felt like it was complete, like nothing was missing anymore.

Henry was getting ready to go to school when it started again in a few days, trying not to feel weird about the fact that his grandmother would be his teacher from now on and Neal shared his time between his father's shop and the station, where he worked part time as a deputy, whenever Emma needed him. He, too, loved the life they had here. He had been surprised at how easy it was for him to get closer to his father, to forgive him and to feel like a loving son once again.

.

August was taking a walk in the woods with his father like they did more and more often since magic was brought back, their goal to try and find enchanted trees, when all of the sudden, they heard a loud noise.

Like wind and something crashing.

Definitely not something natural.

"Sounds like a portal opening. I've heard it only once before but I'm sure that's it." Marco exclaimed.

"Come, let's find out what's going on. Stay hidden." August advised his father as they both rushed to hide in some bushes.

They were barely hidden when a couple of people stepped out of the open portal. A man and a woman. The man was dressed in black leather with a red vest and a hook on one of his hands, the woman was elegantly dresses, like she was some kind of nobility coming from the Enchanted Forest.

"Here we are Captain. As promised, we're in Storybrook. Well, close enough to it anyway." The woman smiled.

Marco couldn't shake that there was something familiar about her but he couldn't place it. August, for his part, was sure that they were definitely not good news.

"Are you sure my ship came with us? With everything we had aboard?" The man dressed in black with the hook instead of a hand, a pirate obviously, asked.

"Absolutely. It's magically hidden so nobody will find it. Now I'm free to get my daughter back and you're free to kill Rumpelstiltskin. Even if he has magic, I'm sure your plan will work. You won't need his dagger." She smirked.

"I planned it that way. I didn't take 200 years planing a revenge to leave anything to chance. Are you sure that your daughter will want to see or even talk to you?" He asked her.

"Regina needs me now. More than ever, she needs me to help her. She'll be happy to see me, as soon as I managed to locate her in this prison they placed her in that is."

"Shall we part ways then?" The pirate asked the woman.

"Not yet. I need to get my things from your ship. Come." She replied.

August motioned for his father to follow him and as silently and as quickly as they could, they left the woods to go and warn Emma and Gold of the new threat that they had just identified.

.

Gold was in his shop, along with August, Emma, her parents, his son and Marco discussing the actions they could take to protect the town from the new comers.

"The dwarfs are trying to locate them." Charming announced.

"It won't be easy, Cora is really skilled." Snow frowned.

"What will her first move? The dagger?" Emma wondered.

"No, she'll go to her daughter. She'll try to free Regina. Hook is the one who'll try to go for my dagger. Don't worry, it's in a safe place. I followed Henry's advises and nobody will get his hand on it." Gold said in a quiet voice.

The moment he brought back magic, he knew that it would give Hook the opportunity to find him and kill him. If he didn't really want to die, he was ready. He had lived a long life, his son was safe and knew he was loved. They had bonded and forgiven each other. Belle was safe and happy. His only hope right now was that he wouldn't be killed before he got a chance to protect his loved once from Cora. Hopefully Hook would give him this long, he'd remember the man of honor he used to be and give him this much... Maybe...

"What has you so worried dad?" Neal asked him.

"Hook's here." Gold replied, as if it explained everything.

"Well, don't worry too much about that. We're not about to let him kill you. Anyway, aren't you immortal? Your dagger is safe and the only way to kill you is with it, right?" Emma asked him.

"It is, but I'm confident he found another way. He can get pretty resourceful." The Dark one smiled sadly.

"Especially with all the time he spent in Neverland... I'm pretty sure there were a few poisons back there that could kill even you dad." Neal frowned.

"Well, as soon as we catch him, we'll put him in jail and take his hook away from him. Do you think Cora found Regina already?" Emma asked him.

"No, the protections around her cell are still intact. I've put an alarm on it." Gold shook his head.

"Well, that's one good news at least." Snow sighted.

"For now." August added.

.

"Charming little town. Very friendly and welcoming..." Hook commented quietly while Cora and he walked through town to reach the docks.

They had just walked pass Granny's dinner and the pirate seemed to appreciate Ruby's short skirts and tiny tops.

"Well, you'll have all the time in the world to enjoy everything it has to offer once we've done what we came here to do Captain. Right now you should keep quiet. We're invisible but not mute. We can't be found out before we choose to reveal ourselves." Cora snapped.

"As the lady wishes." Hook mock bowed to her before he kept on walking with one last look to Ruby's back side.

.

Regina was in her cell, alone. Ever since they moved her down to the mine and brought magic back, she was alone.

Magic mirrors and magic protections kept her locked away and the only people she ever saw were the dwarfs when they brought her her daily food. She couldn't really complain though, she was treated far better than she had treated most people she had locked away. They let her have paper and pen to write, she had light, books to read that were changed every few days...

Still, she hated the fact that Gold had taken her magic away. She knew that there was absolutely no way for her to ever get it back now and it upset her greatly.

"Aren't you a little early?" Regina asked without looking up when she heard footsteps coming her way while she flipped through the pages of the self help book they had brought her.

"I didn't know you were expecting me dear." A voice Regina thought she would never hear ever again spoke from the entrance of her cage.

"Mother? How? What? How?" Regina asked as she rushed to the door.

"It's a long story but as you can see, I struck a deal with the pirate you sent after me. Now, why don't we work on getting you out of here before we get starting on getting back everything you have lost because of Snow White's little family?" Cora asked her daughter.

"Mother... How?" Regina asked.

"I didn't know that being stuck in a cage would make you lose your wit honey." Cora smirked as she tried to use her powers on the cage.

"It's useless. Rumpelstiltskin and the Blue fairy worked together to make it magic impervious. Using your powers on it will only raise the alarm and tell them that you're here." Regina warned her mother.

"Well, I guess it's a good things I didn't come alone." Cora sighted.

"What? Who?" Regina started to ask as her mother called:

"Captain, stop watching the door for now, we're in need of your services in here. "

Captain Hook entered the cave and after nodding, got started on trying to open the lock of Regina's cage.

"You don't understand mother, they already know you're here. I'm being watched with magic mirror and there are magic triggers all around the place. The Dark One and everyone else will probably be here any minute now." Regina insisted while Hook did his best to open the cage.

"It doesn't matter, we'll be long gone by then." Cora assured her.

"Even Rumpelstiltskin can't vanish from this place, mother. Run before they catch you." Regina insisted, deciding that having her mother on her side and alive, away from her was better than having her dead, or alive and sharing a cell with her forever.

"Almost done." Hook declared.

"I'm afraid it's too late Captain." The Dark One's voice said from behind them, surprising them all.

"You should have listen to your daughter Cora." Snow added.

"Rumpel!" Cora exclaimed and the tone she used, the eyes she looked at him with, it showed everyone exactly what kind of history they shared.

"Crocodile... you've changed in this world. You look more like the coward I met so long ago." Hook said, trying to keep a calm and confident look on his face.

"Killian... Please don't do this..." Neal pleaded as he stepped in front of his father.

"Bealfire?" The captain asked, shocked.

If the boy had grown into a man, he still had the same eyes and it didn't take more than a few seconds for the legendary pirate to recognize his old companion.

"Yes, except I go by Neal now. This is my wife Emma. I know what he did and I know it hurt you but please, don't take my father away from me when I just got him back. My son needs to know his grandfather... I need my father..." Neal pleaded with his old companion.

Killian couldn't stop the rush of emotions he felt when he saw Baelfire, who had become a man. It was a reminder of Milah, of the mistakes he had made, of the fact that he once cared for the boy. Then he looked at Emma, Baelfire's wife and this time what Killian felt brought him shame. He couldn't feel this way for anyone, not after losing Milah, especially not for one of his old mate's wife. Not only was she taken, but the blond magical beauty before him was a princess, the savior and married to Baelfire. He couldn't feel this way. He couldn't allow his heart to feel this way. It was impossible.

"How charming." Cora rolled her eyes.

"Bae... I..." Killian seemed to be looking for the right words to say.

How could he say how sorry he was for giving him up to Pan? He needed to hide the feelings that had come up surprisingly fast for the blond beauty and concentrate on finding the right words to fix this situation.

"Listen, I know that you want your revenge, that you're still in pain because she's dead but... It's not too late. You might find someone new here, a new life, a new beginning..." Neal argued with Hook, ignoring Cora who was unable to use magic but still trying.

"You really think it's that simple?" Killian asked Neal.

Someone new...

Killian tried not to look at Bae...Neal's wife. Could he really have a second chance at a happy life here? In this town? In this realm? Could he be happy without killing the Dark One? Could he make friends here? Was he ready to give up his revenge if it meant having his friendship with Milah's son back?

"I am sorry for what I did." The Dark One spoke and everyone turned to look at him, including Hook.

"That day... Around that time, I was focused on one thing only: finding my way back to Bae. I was angry and desperate and here she was, living her happy little life, not feeling the pain I was feeling for being apart from my son... She was so eager to blame me for not fighting in the ogre wars... She knew that I didn't fight because a seer told me I'd leave my son fatherless because of my actions on the battlefield. I didn't fight because I hoped to keep my son safe, to make sure he'd still have a father and she knew it but it wasn't enough for her... And as I was working so hard to try and find him again, here she was, enjoying her life with a pirate, holding in her hand my ticket to my son and trying to keep it... I let my feelings get in the way and I acted impulsively. I took her away from you and I'm sorry for that. Sincerely"

Everyone was silent, except for Cora who was struggling, trying to force magic out of her hands.

"Listen, why don't we start by dealing with Regina's mother? The Captain can leave with us and we'll all discuss this later. Alright?" Emma suggested.

"Killian? Please? Will you agree to hold out on any plans you might have until we can try to reach a deal?" Neal asked him.

"Well, I didn't exactly do right by you either when I gave you up to Pan back in Neverland... I guess I owe you that much." Killian nodded.

"What? No! We had a deal Captain!" Cora exclaimed.

"Yes, and I did more than fulfilling my part of it. We were supposed to work together to get here. We're here. Then I said that if you gave me my ship back I'd help you reunite with your daughter. You're reunited with your daughter, yet my ship is still hidden and invisible, its location in this realm unknown." Killian snapped at the evil woman.

"I believe I can find your ship once we're done with them." Gold said.

"No! You can't do anything to me!" Cora exclaimed.

"And why is that? What is it you have planned exactly? Right now you're stuck in here, unable to use magic." Emma asked her.

"Well, isn't the savior confident. I guess Princess Eva's legacy really darken if they're working with the Dark One. Sadly, it's not enough for me." Cora declared and before anyone could say anything, she had grabbed Killian's hook, unclasped it from his hand and thrown it in Snow's direction.

"No!" Everyone exclaimed and Gold, who was close enough, managed to react quickly enough to get his arm on the way.

If the hook ended up falling on the ground, it did nick Gold's arm a bit.

"Well, I guess the negotiations are over Captain." Cora smirked.

"What does she mean? What's going on dad?" Neal asked Gold while Emma grabbed Cora and pushed her in the cell with Regina before locking it again.

"There was dream-shade on my hook..." Killian explained, looking at Neal in horror.

"What's this?" Charming asked Hook.

"A poison from Neverland..." Hook replied.

"One that can't be cured..." Neal shook his head.

"Well, it can, but then you're stuck in Neverland... I don't know which curse is worst." Killian added.

"Let's go to the shop, there might be something we can do over there. Cora is powerless as long as she stays here anyway. I'll call Blue on the way and ask her to join us. Let's go now." Emma decided, taking matters in her own hands.

"You know there's a way to save him, don't you Snow?" Cora called out before they left, making them turning around.

"What?" Snow asked.

"That day your mother died, it wasn't the Blue fairy who gave you the candle. It was me." Cora smirked.

"The candle takes another person's life! It's evil and dark magic." Snow exclaimed.

"But it'll work. It would save him." Cora smiled.

"Don't listen to her. She loves him and wants him to survive. She also decided that her mission was to darken your heart. Something to do with her getting revenge for something your mother did to her a long time ago." Hook told Snow.

"Let's go, we'll talk about it all once we're in the shop." Emma added before she pushed them all out of the mines, making sure that the magical protections outside were still in place before she followed them all out and back to the shop.

* * *

**So, what do you think will happen? Will Gold Die? Will Cora die? Will someone find redemption?**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Second chance in Tallahassee_**

**_9_**

* * *

Gold's pawnbroker's shop seemed very small with everyone inside.

Blue had been called on the way and was there when they arrived with the dying man but sadly, she was unable to heal the Dark One. The poison was too strong for her magic and she was sure that even Emma's magic wouldn't be enough to heal anyone from Dream-shade poisoning. It was too dark and too complicated to heal for one magic to do it. She feared that the only way to heal Gold would be to use dark magic and to trade his life for someone else's. She left after that last bit of information, advising them against it, of course.

As for the dwarfs, they didn't stay inside for long. There wasn't much they could do to help so they went back to the mines, thinking that maybe if they found diamonds, they could make some fairy dust and try to use it on the Dark One. Even if it didn't work, they would be doing something useful. Like Grumpy always said: Work is work.

"Where's that candle Cora talked about, papa?" Neal asked his father once the last of the dwarfs had passed the door, leaving the shop quiet.

"No... Bae... You can't use this. It will darken your heart." Gold replied, shaking his head and surprising the pirate even more.

"You're dying papa! It's only fair to let Cora die instead of you. Let me use it on her." Neal insisted.

Emma looked down. She didn't approve of the use of this candle but she wouldn't voice it. It was Neal's decision to make, it was his father's life after all and she couldn't say that she would never do it to save her own parents or even her son. Yes, she'd probably be ready to use the candle if it meant saving her son's life so she couldn't judge or even blame her husband for being ready to use it on the father he had just found and reconnected with.

"I won't let you do it. I won't tell you where it is." Gold shook his head again and closed his eyes when the pain worsened in his arm.

"If it's in here, I'll find it." Neal replied before he started opening drawers and boxes.

Every time he found something that looked like a candle, he showed it to his mother in law, asking her if it was it but after a few minutes, he still hadn't found anything.

Snow didn't approve of the use of the candle of course, she had refused to use it on her own mother. But she couldn't lie to Neal, she understood why he wanted to use it and she also knew that holding the candle in your hands and actually using it was two different things.

"You're really willing to die, are you?" Hook asked his enemy.

"I am."

"Dream-shade poisoning can be cured in Neverland with water from a special spring on Dead Man's pike but because its power comes from Neverland, you die as soon as you leave the Island. That's how I lost my brother before I became a pirate, back when I was serving as a leftenant in the king's navy and my brother was my Captain. I happen to have a bottle of that water on my ship, just in case, you never know what you might need to trade. Maybe with your magic you'll be able to make the cure permanent and effective outside of Neverland." Hook offered.

"You'd help my father?" Neal asked as he interrupted his search right before he opened completely a cupboard.

The doors were slightly open and it was enough for Snow to see the candle the man was looking for. Should she tell him it was in here or wait until he asked her? She glanced at Gold, who saw her look and when he shook his head, she nodded slightly and decided to do as he wished wait and see if the pirate had a solution for them or not.

"I'm not so blinded by my want for revenge that I can't see that he's changed and isn't the same as the man who killed my Milah. Maybe it's time I moved on as well. Of course this would mean some sort of peaceful agreement between us, a clean start if you will..." Hook replied, looking at Rumpelstiltskin when he said the last part.

"Not only would I be willing to forget about our little war but I'd be willing to give you your hand back. Make it grow back I mean." Gold replied weakly, feeling the effects of the poison as he got closer to his heart.

"Well, I'll go and get that water then." Hook nodded after shaking the Dark One's hand, sealing the deal.

"I'll go with him." Emma offered.

She needed to move, to do something. She hated being powerless to help and needed to do something, to have even just the illusion that she was helping her father in law.

"Don't you trust me, Love?" Killian smirked.

"You're a pirate." Emma replied with an amused smile.

"We'll be here." Neal said before Emma kissed him goodbye and left the shop with Hook.

.

While Emma and Hook went to get the water, Snow rose another question:

"What about Cora? Do we leave her in jail with her daughter or do we do something else with her?"

"Well, in this cell, she's just as powerless as her daughter, so we could leave them there. Since she's responsible for your mother's death, I feel it's your decision to make." Gold replied, speaking slowly.

"Maybe we can leave her in the cell with Regina then..." Snow shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, with any luck they'll murder each other." Charming joked.

"That would solve our problems." Neal nodded with an amused smile.

"So, the pirate, do you think we can trust him with Emma?" Charming asked Neal.

"Killian might be a pirate but he's a man of honor as well. I trust him. I know we have an history but I know that we can trust him now." Neal nodded.

"I don't like how he looks at her..." Charming shook his head.

"Of course not, you're her father." Snow chuckled.

"It's not just that... He likes her. I know it. I think he's only helping because he's trying to impress Emma." The prince insisted.

"Well, I trust Emma and so should you. Your daughter is faithful and strong willed. It's going to take more than a few catch phrases and a look to get her. I know how she thinks and she won't even consider him as a potential... You know... because we're together. She won't see him this way because she loves me." Neal assured the prince.

"If you say so... I'll still keep an eye on him though."

"Of course you will honey." Snow smiled while she helped Gold drink some tea she had just prepared.

.

On the way to the docks, Emma got to know a few things about Killian Jones, aka Captain Hook.

One, he wasn't that evil and could actually be quite funny when he wanted to be. Listening to him commenting on life in Storybrook as they drove through town was hilarious and she couldn't wait to show him more of their life here. She was already planing on asking him to join Neal, Henry and her a few times on their outings.

Two, he was rather charming and if she hadn't been happily married with Neal, she might have fallen for him. He was also very aware of his charm and seemed confident he'd be able to win anyone over. He even told her that if he put his head to it, he could win her over and that the only reason he wasn't trying, was out of loyalty for Neal. She simply rolled her eyes at that, knowing that if Neal wasn't in the picture, he'd be right.

Three, he was hiding some unresolved issues behind all of his flirting. She could see his pain behind his jokes, darkness behind his smiles. He had been hurt, not only by losing Milah. She could guess that he was a complicated man and that it would take her a long time to get to know him fully.

Four, he was VERY proud of his ship. He spoke of the Jolly Roger as if she was a woman and Emma realised that to him, she probably represented his longest and most successful relationship.

Five, it was funny to watch his reaction to her moving car or to technology in general. She couldn't wait to watch his reaction to TV and to the Disney version of him.

"I don't know exactly what Cora took with her, but she has a few boxes aboard my ship, one of them is rather large." He confessed as they got out of her car.

"We'll deal with this later. Right now we need to heal my father in law. I won't have my husband lose his father and my son lose one of his grandfathers, not so soon after finding him." Emma replied.

"As the lady wishes." Killian replied, leading her to an empty location along the docks.

"It's still invisible" He told her when he noticed her interrogative look as he stepped into tin air above the water.

"Well, let's make it visible to everyone then." Emma replied before she rose both of her hands, pointed them in the direction of the ship and closed her eyes in concentration.

"You have magic." He noticed, raising an eyebrow.

"Apparently, it comes with being the product of True Love and the Savior." She replied after making the Jolly Roger visible again.

"I guess it explains why you feel so confident around me." he smiled.

"Maybe I just don't think you're a threat. Or maybe I know how to defend myself." She replied, still smiling.

"I'll go with the second option." He smirked.

"Smart man." She replied while she followed him on the deck and stayed outside, looking around while he went to get the bottle.

Looking around the ship, Emma saw a big square box, covered by a sheet and when she pulled it off, she realised that it wasn't a box but a large cage with a big man asleep inside. She tried to wake him up but it didn't work. She could feel magic all around him.

Immediately, she got her cell phone out of her pocket and called Leroy, who agreed to come right away. He would do whatever he could to open the cage, free the man and take him to the hospital.

"Hey, Hook, do you have the key to this cage?" She asked him after trying to open it her way.

"I'm afraid not. Can't you just use your magic?" He asked her, shaking his head.

"It's not working, I'm guessing Cora protected it from other's magic. I called Leroy... Grumpy I mean. You don't mind do you? He'll come while we go back to the shop and he'll free the man, wake him up and make sure he's alright." She asked him.

"Anything I can do to help, I guess. I'm sure Snow White's dwarf friends can be trusted, especially if the savior trusts them as well." He replied, a charming smile still on his face.

"Thank you." she replied, leading him back to her car.

.

While Gold was slowly but surely making a cure for his poisoning with his son helping him, Emma had left them to go and check how the man in the cage was doing. Leroy and his brothers had called her, saying that they had brought him to the hospital and that they believed him to be asleep because of a spell. She was going to go there to break the spell and wake him up.

"How is he doing?" She asked Doctor Whale when she arrived.

"As far as I can tell he's fine, just sleeping." He told her.

"Okay then, let's see if I can wake him up with my magic. If it doesn't work we'll have to wait until my father in law feels better." She replied before grabbing the man's hand and closing her eyes in concentration.

"It's working!" Leroy exclaimed when the man started to open his eyes.

"Hey there! Don't worry, you're safe. Cora is imprisoned where she can't hurt anyone or use magic. My name is Emma and this is Leroy, also known as Grumpy in the Enchanted Forest. You're in Storybrook. Who are you?" Emma told the man who started to panic after he woke up.

"What did she do! She made me small!" He exclaimed.

"Small?" Emma asked him.

"I'm supposed to be a giant! My name is Anton and that witch made me small!" He exclaimed.

"Well, Maybe my father in law will be able to remedy to that but in this town, it might be best for you to fit in if you're... hum... Normal sized." Emma suggested nicely while Anton sat up.

"Where am I?" he asked her.

"In the hospital. We wanted to make sure Cora hadn't hurt you. Are you okay? Beside the shock of the size change I mean." Emma asked him and he nodded.

"Where are you from?" Leroy asked him.

"The Enchanted Forest, more or less." Anton replied.

"Do you think Cora hurt your family when she took you?" Emma asked him to keep him busy while Whale insisted on checking his heart and pulse.

"There wasn't anyone for her to hurt beside me. My entire family was killed a few years ago by an evil Prince and his friend. They pretended they were my friends and when I had my guard down, they came and killed my family... His name was James." Anton explained, feeling that he could trust Emma.

"You mean Charming? He wouldn't do that!" Leroy exclaimed.

"You know him?" Anton asked, looking ready for a fight.

"No, he doesn't. Not really." Emma shook her head and they both turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Leroy asked her.

"Is this what he looked like?" She asked Anton as she showed him a picture of her father she had on her phone.

"Yes! It's hi! How do you know him?" he asked her.

"I don't, not really. James had a twin brother names David. The man I showed you is David, my father. James was his brother. He was killed a few years ago, paying the ultimate price for his arrogance. I assure you that my father is totally different? Like night and day. That's why he got in so much trouble with King George." Emma explained, doing her best to convince Anton.

"I heard stories but never believed them... Why didn't he tell us?" Leroy asked Emma while Anton was deep in his thoughts.

"I don't know, maybe he didn't want to bother anyone with it since it was dealt with. There was other things to deal with at the time, like Regina and the curse." Emma shrugged her shoulders and Grumpy nodded.

"Do you swear to me on your honor that James is dead and that this man is different?" Anton asked Emma.

"Of course. Now that Doctor Whale is done examining you, you can even come with me so that I can introduce you to him. They send me a message saying they were waiting for me at Granny's. There will be food and drinks. We can help you figure out what you want to do next." Emma suggested.

"Thanks but you don't have to, I'm fine on my own." he shook his head.

"Come on, it'll make us happy. I'm sure Granny will even let you stay in one of the rooms until we can figure out something more permanent." Leroy insisted.

"Thank you. I'm not used to humans being so nice with me." Anton said, looking down.

"Well, maybe you haven't met the right people." Emma smiled softly as they started walking out of the hospital together.

"Don't you miss the Enchanted Forest?" Anton asked Emma and Leroy.

"Of course." Leroy said.

"Personally I have no memory of it, I left it the very day I was born but I know that my parents miss it." Emma smiled.

"Why don't you go back then?" Anton asked her.

"Because we can't. There's no way to go back without a portal and we don't have one." Emma shook her head.

"I might have a solution for that." he smiled.

"What do you mean?" Leroy asked.

"How's the farm land here?" Anton asked the dwarf.

"Pretty good. Why?" The grumpy dwarf replied.

"I can grow some beans. I have one. I could grow some magic beans. I think it's why Cora brought me here but if you've dealt with her..." Anton offered.

"Really?" Leroy asked and the giant nodded.

"Why don't we just enjoy today and set you up with a room? There will be time to find the right place to grow beans later. Right now we'll take you for some food and drinks, you must be starving." Emma smiled.

"You're right, I could eat a horse." Anton joked.

"Well, Granny doesn't have horses on the menu but I'm sure you'll love her lasagnas or even her burgers." Grumpy replied as they arrived to the packed dinner.

Emma introduced the shrunken giant to everyone, especially her husband and her son. She noticed Captain hook talking with her father and her father in law sitting in a booth with a smiling Belle. She didn't know if Anton would be able to get them back to the Enchanted Forest or not but right know everyone was happy and that was the most important.

Well, she was sure that Cora and Regina weren't very happy at the moment but who cared really? They had deserved their fate.

* * *

**So, What did you think?**

**This story is almost over. Only one more chapter.**

**Don't forget to review to let me know what you think!**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


	10. Chapter 10

**_Second chance in Tallahassee 10_**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Anton arrived in town and after finding the perfect place to grow beans, with the help of the dwarfs, Anton got to work. He had made a few friends in town, especially the dwarfs, Granny, Ruby, and Emma's family. He liked them all and loved that he had made new friends, real friends. He wasn't lonely anymore and he was glad that they didn't tease him as much as his brothers used to.

Anton wasn't the only newcomer in town though. Hook was new as well and, surprisingly, he had made some friends too, even if some people in town were still afraid of him and went out of their ways not to cross him. First he had reconnected with Neal, then he had earned a little bit of money by touring his ship for a price and teaching people how to use the stars to find your way and how to tie a knot. It was enough for him to buy food, when Smee wasn't bringing it to him.

"How was your day at school Henry?" Emma asked her son when he joined her at the station after school.

"It was great. It's still a bit weird that my grandmother is also my teacher but it's fine. Dad and Hook aren't back yet?" He asked her.

"No, they're still in the woods. Do you want to go with me see how Anton and the dwarfs are doing with the beans or would you rather start on your homework?" She asked him.

"I'm definitely coming with you." He smiled and she chuckled, leading him to the patrol car.

Anton assured her that the beans would be ready for harvest in a couple of days. He told her that some of them were good now already and he had taken those, placing them in a safe place until they could get the other ones. They decided it would be better to tell everyone that it wasn't ready yet. They didn't want people to start going through Anton's place to steal the magic beans.

After that, Emma and Henry went back to the station, just in time to see Neal and Hook arrive in the yellow bug.

"Hey, how was your walk in the woods? Find anything interesting?" She asked them after kissing Neal.

"Emma, you have to call your parents and ask them to come her. I already called my father, he's on his way. We have problems!" Neal replied seriously.

"What is it? What's going on?" She asked him.

"We saw a car drive **into** Storybrook, from the outside." Neal replied.

"But your father said that only the people who knew of its existence already could come in. How could they know of it?" She asked him.

"I have no clue." He shrugged his shoulders.

"There was a dark skinned woman and a white male. The male was driving and the woman held a map." Hook added.

"It looked like a drawn map too, not the kind you buy at the store." Neal added.

"Did you see what direction they went to? What kind of car was it?" Emma asked Neal.

"I don't know, we were on foot, they had a car, we were in the trees..." Neal replied before he told Emma what kind of car it was.

They all went inside the station and were soon joined by Gold, Belle, August, Snow and Charming. Emma wrote a note explaining everything and handed it to her son.

"Here Henry. I want you to take this note to Granny and Ruby as fast as you can. You give it to them only and ask them to read it now Don't let anyone else see it." Emma asked her son who nodded and hurried out.

"What was that?" Neal asked her.

"A note where I'm explaining about the possible newcomers and asking her to warn me if anyone who's not from here takes a room." Emma replied.

"Maybe they'll sleep in their car or in the woods." Hook replied.

"I'm more worried about who they are and what they're doing here..." Emma told him.

"I have a bad feeling about this." The Dark One said.

"Can't you see anything papa?" Neal asked his father who shook his head.

"Sadly, seeing the future isn't that easy and here, I haven't been able to do it much."

"We'll just have to be careful, keep our eyes open and warn people." Emma said just as Henry came back in out of breath.

"So, what did she say?" Neal asked him.

"She said that she was about to send Ruby to you anyway because a couple matching Hook's description came to get sandwiches to go about 15 minutes ago. She didn't ask them anything because she didn't want to be too suspicious and figured they might simply be people who didn't go out often but with your note..." Henry told his mother.

"Does she know where they went?" Emma asked him as the dwarfs and Anton could be seen entering the dinner from the window.

"No, there was too much people, she didn't have time to notice." Henry shook his head.

"I have a feeling we should go check on the beans. I mean, if they know about the town, who knows what else they know about?" Snow said and Gold nodded.

"I'll go and get the dwarfs, you go ahead to the field." Hook suggested and Emma nodded.

"Henry, you go with Hook and stay behind at Granny's okay?" Emma asked him and the boy nodded before he followed his pirate friend out.

.

When they arrived on the field, it was devastated, destroyed. They were all too shocked to move and only started moving and speaking when Hook and the dwarfs arrived, along with Anton. Hook assured Neal and Emma that Henry was with Granny and that they were alone in the dinner. They knew that Granny and Ruby would keep Henry safe. They could trust them.

"What happened?" Leroy exclaimed, horrified.

"It's fresh. It wasn't done long ago. Whoever did that probably just left, not too long ago." Anton said after examining the field quickly.

"Can anything be salvaged?" Charming asked him.

"I don't think so... But don't worry, I still have the beans that were ready early. I only need one to grow more..." Anton told him.

"We'll have to place protections around it this time." Gold nodded.

"They stole it." Happy informed them.

"What did they steal?" Neal asked him.

"Right here. There was a bean that was ready to be harvested. I saw it on our way out today so I figured we'd take it tomorrow..." Happy replied.

"Somehow I have a feeling that this bean is why they came... but how could they have known?" Rumpelstiltskin wondered.

"Who knows... Let's go back in town and try to search for them. We'll ask Granny first if she saw them again." Charming suggested and they nodded, rushing to the dinner they loved so much.

.

"Something's wrong." Emma exclaimed.

Indeed, the glass of the front door was broken and the situation looked tensed inside. The couple was standing in front of Granny and Henry, pointing a gun at the old woman while Ruby was on the floor, unmoving.

"Henry!" Emma yelled.

"Why can't we go in?" David and Neal asked at the same time with anger.

"Mom! Dad! help me!" Henry yelled.

"Don't worry Henry, we're coming for you!" Emma yelled back at her son.

"Why does the home office wants this kid so much, I wonder? Nothing special about him..." The man chuckled.

"Who knows, Greg? We don't discuss orders, we just execute them." The woman replied.

"Let us in! You can't take our son!" Emma yelled, pounding on the invisible barrier while The Dark One tried to break it.

"I can only lower it to let one person go through, maybe two but I'm not sure." Gold whispered.

"I'll go." Neal and Killian nodded together.

"No, I'll go. I have magic, Neal." Emma insisted.

"Please, Em, stay here." Neal shook his head.

"Hook doesn't have to go, I can take his place." Emma asked.

"Please Emma. I can't worry about your safety! Killian comes with me. You stay here. I love you." Neal told her with a kiss as he gently pushed her to her father who held on to her, also wishing he could join Neal and Hook in fighting those people.

"Papa, keep her safe please." Neal said before he nodded to his father who nodded back.

Neal kissed Emma one more time, told her he loved her again and rushed inside, followed by his pirate friend who, just like Neal, wanted to keep Emma safe and out of harm's way.

"Tamara look out. Two of them managed to cross the barrier!" Greg yelled immediately.

The woman, Tamara, turned around and pointed her gun at Neal, making the two men halt in their short run while Greg blew some magic powder on Granny, making her fall on the floor along with Henry, who received some of the powder as well. Killian took his gun out and knew he could only shoot once because of the kind of gun it was. He had to think it through. He couldn't get the man without risking hitting Henry since the man had the boy in his arms, like a shield. He had to try and shoot the woman, who was moving way too much to be an easy target.

"We're wasting time, let's go." Greg hurried and Tamara nodded.

"Stay right there or I'll have to shoot you." Tamara told Neal.

"You do that and I shoot you." Killian glared.

"I can't let you go with my son." Neal replied as the man walked closer to them but stayed behind Tamara.

"Fine. You asked for it." Tamara replied, shooting quickly the gun at Neal who fell on the floor, bleeding out quickly and heavily at the same time as Killian shot.

Tamara was hit in the stomach, a bit under her heat, by Killian but was still conscious so she lifted the gun and shot at Killian, who was hit in the leg while in the process of dropping on his knees to see how Neal was doing.

"Neal! Wake up Neal!" Emma yelled, as she tried to help her father in law breaking the barrier.

"Killian... Emma... protect her." Neal whispered, having a difficult time speaking.

"Aye. Don't worry mate. I'll make sure your family is safe." Killian replied.

He was about to add to Neal that he needed to keep his strengths but the man opened his mouth again and said:

"I know... It's okay... I approve." Before he died, unable to say more, to be more clear and leaving the pirate with questions.

"Neal! Baelfire! Open your eyes mate!" he asked, shaking Neal a bit in hope to see him waking up.

Killian was pressuring the bullet hole in Neal's chest but he knew that it was no use. His friend had no pulse, he was shot in the heart. It was too late. What did he mean by his last words? What did he know? What was okay and what did he approve of? Surely he couldn't be speaking of his feelings for Emma, right?

"They almost have it down Greg." Tamara said weakly to her companion who came to help her stand up.

Killian tried to stand up and fight them but he couldn't move, the pain in his leg was too much. All he could do was try to stop Neal from bleeding, even though he knew it was too late. Maybe The Dark One would be able to do something to save him with his dark magic, who knew.

"I have the boy. Throw the bean." Greg told her and she nodded, doing as he asked.

"No! Please, not my son! Please don't take my son" Emma cried.

"Sorry but he's not yours anymore. He was never meant to be yours. This boy belongs to the home office every since he was born." The woman smirked before they jumped in the portal who closed off right behind them.

.

As soon as the portal closed, the barrier was down and Emma rushed to her husband with her father in law while the others went to check on Granny and Ruby.

"He doesn't have a pulse." Hook told them weakly, trying to hide his pain.

"Can you do anything?" Emma whispered to Gold who shook his head, sadly.

"He's... dead." Gold stated.

"I'm sorry Emma... I did my best... I tried to..." Hook tried to say but was cut off but Rumpelstiltskin.

"We know. You did what you could... Here, let me heal your leg." The Dark One offered, surprising him.

Hook's leg was healed quickly and soon, a lot of people were surrounding them, including Smee and Belle.

"We still have the beans I harvested early. You can take a couple of them to go after them, right?" Anton asked them.

"We don't even know where they took him..." Emma shook her head.

"I'm so sorry honey..." Snow told her daughter as she and David hugged her.

"I can find out..." Gold said before he moved his hand and made a magical glob appear.

He poured a drop of his blood on the globe and watched as it formed a land he wished he wouldn't have to go back to.

"Neverland..." He whispered.

"Anton, why don't you get the beans and join us at the Jolly Roger. It's the safest way to travel." Hook told the shrunken giant who nodded.

"Shall I get her ready captain?" Smee asked him, eager to help and do something to distract everyone from the pain of losing Bealfire, Neal.

"Aye. Be ready to sail with us, I guess we're going back to Neverland." Killian replied and Smee nodded before he hurried off.

"I... I can't believe he's..." Emma whispered in her parents' arms.

"Emma, I know how much it hurts, trust me. You lost your husband and I lost my son but we need to work on getting your son back before it's too late. You need to be strong now." Rumpelstiltskin told Emma as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him, nodded sadly and hugged him.

"I'll deal with everything here, you all go and get ready to find Henry." August told Emma with tears in his eyes for the friend he had lost.

Gold asked Belle to stay behind, giving her a spell to protect the town from eventual other newcomers before he drove Emma to the pirate ship. In the end, Emma, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow, David, Hook and Smee were going.

"How am I going to tell Henry?" Emma asked her father in law as everyone else got ready to go on the ship.

"We'll figure it out when we save him." he told her.

"Are you ready to face your father?" Emma asked him.

"I don't know... I guess we'll see but you have to know that if dying is what it takes for me to kill Peter Pan, then I'll do it. One way or another, you'll get back home with your son Emma, do you understand me? I loved Bae, and yes, I lost my son. But I love you as well. You're like a daughter to me and I won't let you lose anyone else." He promised her.

"I know. I love you too. You're family. We'll find a way to deal with Pan without you dying. And you're not alone to face Pan. We're all here for you." She told him.

"Thank you Emma. And Thank you for bringing my son back to me in the first place." he told her as he hugged her once more.

"He died because of me." She whispered.

"No, he died a hero's death. It's what he would have wanted if he could have chosen his death. He wouldn't regret dying to save you, the only thing you can do now is your best to save your son and my grandson."

"You're right. We talked about it once, about the way we wished to die... It was after a movie... Anyway... He said that if he couldn't die in his sleep as an old man after a full life, he'd like to die while protecting his family." Emma confessed.

"Come on, let's settle you down in one of the cabins, you need some rest to face Pan." Gold smiled before he let Emma go to her parents.

Of course Hook offered her his personal quarters and even gave her a cutlass. It used to belong to Neal when he was on the Jolly Roger with him a long time ago and he figured Emma would be happy to have it, to have something else to remember him by, something she would be able to use to save her son. She was grateful and even accepted to drink a couple of shot of Rum with him before she tried to get some sleep.

A few minutes later, while Hook and Smee sailed the Jolly Roger, everyone on the legendary ship was silent, all of them wondering if they could have saved Neal by doing something different.

Hook was one of those who were the most tortured. He was wondering if he could have done something to save Neal but unconsciously didn't do it because of his growing feelings for Emma. Was he responsible for her present pain?

"We all wish we could have dome something different to save his life Hook, you're not responsible." Rumpelstiltskin told him from behind him.

"Aren't I?" Killian asked him, surprised to see the Dark One being nice to him and not vengeful.

"I know why you think it's your fault. I know about your growing feelings for my daughter in law. Neal knew too. He also knew that you were a man of honor and that you wouldn't try anything to break them up."

"He knew?" Killian asked and Gold nodded before he added:

"As much as it pains me to say it, we can't change destiny. I ran away from the ogre wars and was branded a coward because a seer told me my son would grow up fatherless because of my actions on the battlefield. We both know how that ended. Neal died, and it's sad. I'll miss my son. Emma will miss her husband. Henry will miss his father. You'll miss your friend. But he died a hero's death and that's what he would have wanted."

"You're going to tell me to stay away from Emma now?" Killian asked the man he used to want to kill.

"No. She needs time to mourn, and right now she'll concentrate on finding Henry but if you truly love her, you'll wait and she'll find her way to you. She deserves a second chance at Love, like you do, like I did."

"Thank you... I wasn't expecting you to react this way." Killian told the Dark One, not seeing Smee hidden behind some boxes in a corner.

"Finding Neal had changed me, so did spending time with Henry and Emma... All I want is for her and Henry to be safe and happy. If I survive this trip to Neverland and something or someone hurts them... I might forget that I'm trying to be good. Do you understand me?"

"Aye. I don't want Emma or Henry hurt either. I just want her to be happy..." Killian replied, thinking of Neal's last words and thinking that maybe he meant this, that he was okay with Emma moving on with him, that he was okay with him being in love with his wife...

"Then we're fine. But you still have her parents to deal with, and that's going to be another story. Especially with Charming." Rumpelstiltskin chuckled before he walked away, convinced he had just done the right thing.

His son would have wanted him to make an effort with Hook and he knew that Neal also would have wanted Emma to move on and find love again.

Looking around, Gold saw that Snow and her husband weren't on deck and somehow he knew that they were watching over their sad and sleeping daughter. He didn't know what would happen next for any of them but he knew that he wasn't alone and he would do his best to protect them all and get Henry back. And he would get back to Belle.

One way or another, they would all make it.

* * *

**So, this is the end of this story... Please don't kill me.**

**From the moment I started this story, I knew it was going to end here and in this way. I'll try to work on a sequel later, one with Emma eventually finding her way with Hook (after a respectable mourning period of course).**

**One last review for this story please? Be honest with me!**

**Lorelei Candice Black**


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